Meet Dr Michael Barbato OAM

KATINA CURTIS

A SPECIALIST in palliative care who made Kiama his home a few years ago has been commended in the Australia Day honours.

Dr Michael Barbato was awarded a medal in the Order of Australia for his service to medicine in the palliative care field.

Dr Barbato said he considered the award recognition the work of palliative care generally, but particularly the services in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.

“For me it’s a recognition of the importance of caring for people who have got life-threatening illnesses,” he said.

“The service here is second to none and full credit goes to (Illawarra Palliative Care Director) Roger Cole and his team.”

Dr Barbato said he found it a privilege to do the work he did.

“I think it’s a very important part of medical care, to be able to do whatever we can to ease whatever pain and suffering there may be,” he said.

“You’re caring for people at the most difficult and vulnerable time in their lives.”

He worked in a private practice for 20 years in Armidale before moving into palliative care; inspired to make the change partly by the deaths of close friends and family members.

He then worked in Sydney and Canberra, including as director of Palliative Care ACT.

On retiring to Kiama, he soon took up a position at Port Kembla Hospital after having his arm “twisted” by Dr Cole.

Apart from his regular work, Dr Barbato also supports the Maryknoll Foundation through fundraising and working with their Cambodia programs.

He has been to Cambodia twice to help educate local doctors in palliative care, but said it was often more useful for him to just send money or things such as books because of the vast differences in practices.

“My work in Cambodia has made me realise how fortunate we are in Australia with all the drugs and technology,” he said.

He has also written a number of books about caring for dying patients, filling in a gap in education for medical as well as lay people.

“The types of challenges that families face when someone close to them is dying are similar across the board, so I thought it would be useful to publish a book,” he said.

He thinks he has lasted so long in what could be a stressful and overwhelming occupation because he has maintained a balance between work and life and through the support of his wife, Ann, and their children.

“Ann’s a counsellor so she understands the type of issues I may bring home,” he said. “Having a partner understanding makes a big difference.”