Kristopher Rallah-Baker is Australia’s first indigenous ophthalmologist.
The Queensland doctor has been based with Lions Outback Vision - the outreach arm of the Lions Eye Institute in Western Australia - since the beginning of 2018.
Dr Rallah-Baker said his patients were excited to see an indigenous face on the other side of a slit lamp during eye examinations.
“It brings them great pride and joy to know that indigenous peoples are achieving across all fields and expressing the opinions and cultural perspectives from within organisations to help improve lives,” he said. “Being the first indigenous ophthalmologist in Australia is of enormous importance, both symbolically and practically, because it breaks barriers that were once seen as impossible.
“I already mentor a number of junior indigenous colleagues interested in ophthalmology and would ultimately like to see us reach population parity with non-indigenous ophthalmologists.”
