Padma Acharya

Registered practising Nurse

I am passionate about promoting health and wellbeing in vulnerable communities by increasing awareness and understanding of hepatitis to reduce stigma and fear through education.

I was born in Nepal and I am a mother of 2 beautiful daughters. I completed my nursing training in Nepal in 2006 and i have been working in Australia as a Registered Nurse since 2012.The reason I did nursing was I was always passionate about helping others to make a difference in their lives which I have been able to do with my work now and in particular the work I do with refugees.

My journey started working at a community health centre in the western suburbs of Melbourne, where I did care plan clinic liaising with GP. The patients were refugee and asylum seeker patients who mainly come from Myanmar.

Through the hepatitis B care plan, contact tracing began. My educational tools were the Hep B story and video, a hepatitis B spread sheet was my data base where I recorded all bloods, liver ultrasounds and contact tracing.

The GP who I worked closely was of great support to me and very experienced and had genuine interest in hepatitis B.

I also did a one day hepatitis B workshop in 2018 and lots of self-studies and webinar. I also chose a hepatitis B Contact tracing project in graduate diploma in Project management unit, whilst doing that I was able to learn more about hepatitis B. Currently I am a member of Australasian Hepatology Association and ASHM, the membership provides me the opportunity to learn more about Hepatitis B, C and HIV.

I integrate all of my learning to enhance the well-being of my patients through holistic care.

I continue seeing my patients with Hepatitis B and HIV at Utopia Refugee Health clinic through my health care plans and catch up immunisation program for Refugee and Humanitarian entrants. I continue to have surveillance for hepatitis B patients, to educate them to help stop the spread of hepatitis B and reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Hepatitis is a real challenge in our vulnerable community, but we also have a great opportunity to show how a coordinated approach from GP clinic can improve care, prevent new infections and save lives.