GP receives multicultural business award

Dr Kiran Puttappa’s plan was to work in Australia for 12 months before heading back to the United Kingdom.
 
But one year quickly turned to two, and it has now been almost 22 years that he has called Australia home, and where he is fast establishing quite the legacy.
 
Last month, Dr Puttappa’s GP West – a network of 19 medical centres located across Perth – was recognised with the Business Award at the 2025 Western Australian Multicultural Awards.
 
The RACGP WA council member told newsGP this was a very proud moment for him and his team.
 
‘It’s an achievement – and a good feeling for the management team, the staff and the doctors,’ Dr Puttappa said.
 
‘They picked our GP group out of all the businesses in WA and it’s actually the first time that they have picked a health-related business, especially a GP service, for the multicultural awards. So, it’s quite prestigious.’
 
Founded in 2014, the medical group’s primary goals are to provide the community with accessible healthcare, with an emphasis on preventive care and effective management of chronic disease. But what sets it apart, is its focus on diversity.
 
The group actively mentors international medical graduates (IMGs), helping them to integrate into the Australian healthcare system, as well as supporting the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community through the creation of inclusive employment opportunities.
 
It also conducts cultural competency training for all employees and has introduced policies and flexible work arrangements that support the unique needs of CALD employees.
 
For Dr Puttappa, it is a way to give back, having experienced the challenges IMGs face firsthand – from navigating visas and the complexities of Medicare, to understanding Aussie slang.
 
‘The training and the system are very different here. I know the difficulties for IMGs and what they need as support, especially when they first come to the country,’ he said.
 
‘That’s why I started developing the business and giving equal opportunity for everyone. I’ve got a management team who are all from different cultural backgrounds, including local people.’
 
Dr Puttappa says supporting IMGs is also a step towards making healthcare in Australia more accessible for CALD members of the community, as having a doctor who speaks a patient’s first language can be ‘very important’ in removing any barriers.
 
‘They just feel more comfortable,’ he said.
 
‘We know that when people come from different countries, especially female patients who may feel more comfortable seeing a female GP because of their religious beliefs or whatever their comfort zone is, when they see their own doctor speaking their own language, they feel more comfortable.
 
‘They will also, probably, look into their health more seriously, including preventive health, which is the main thing we focus on.’
 
The WA-based GP said he saw the benefits of this firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic when it came to vaccination and addressing any hesitancy among the community.
 
‘There were so many communities that were reluctant to take the vaccine,’ he said.
 
‘But we did a fantastic job and as a group we did almost 10,000 COVID vaccinations.’
 
Dr Puttappa has come a long way since completing his medical training in psychiatry in India.
 
His first move abroad saw him venture to the UK, where he worked in various hospitals, before heading to the Gold Coast in 2003. But an impromptu trip to Perth in 2004 would come to set the backdrop for the next 20 years.
 
He worked as a registrar at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and completed his training in 2010, before opening his first general practice, Okley Medical Centre, in 2011.
 
He then went on to establish GP West, which now employs more than 200 healthcare professionals.
 
However, Dr Puttappa says the vision was never to expand as fast as he has, but rather set an example of taking opportunities that have come his way to respond to a community need.
 
‘It just happened,’ he said. ‘I did one medical centre, then there was an opportunity to do the second one, and the second became the third, and it just went on.
 
‘Previously, in all the areas where my medical centres are, there were no medical centres and patients used to travel a long distance. But now they can get all the health services that they need in their own suburb.’
 
As well as being an active RACGP WA council member, Dr Puttappa also heads the Australian Indian Medical Association in WA, appointed President in August 2024.
 
He says this role gives him the chance to be an active member of the Indian Australian community, but also to engage in humanitarian work, and to further support IMGs.
 
‘We’ve got around 700 doctors registered coming from the hospital system, GPs and everyone,’ Dr Puttappa said.
 
‘It doesn’t matter which nationality you belong to, if you come to the country and need to help, we have a WhatsApp group, they can post there, and we’ll help them out.’
 
Looking back on his career and how far he has come, Dr Puttappa is evidently proud but remains humble.
 
‘I don’t know what would have happened if I’d gone back to the UK, but I think I’ve done a pretty good job,’ he said.
 
‘When I came here, I loved the culture, I loved the weather, and I loved the system. I thought “this is where I need to be”.
 
‘It’s a good feeling doing something for your own community.’
 
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CALD IMG Multicultural Business Award