General News
5 May, 2026
Former doctor dies
Former long time Mary-borough general practitioner and councillor Paul Ghaie, has died age 80.
Dr Sat Parkash “Paul’ Ghaie was born on January 12, 1946, immigrating to Australia in 1970 after working in hospitals in India for three years.
He moved to Maryborough in 1973, and began a general practice with his partners at the Maryborough Medical Clinic.
In 1974, he joined the Maryborough Lions Club and went on to serve as president. Dr Ghaie became involved in projects including the completion of the Lion’s Wayside Park, the Amblyopia eye check-ups, hearing check-ups for children and providing a trolley for the local ambulance service.
He set up a rural branch of the Heart Foundation, established a support group for diabetics and provided education sessions about cancer called Cancer Crusade.
Dr Ghaie was elected to the then Maryborough City Council, and became deputy mayor in 1985. In this role, he advocated to promote Maryborough retirement and aged care, and was responsible for building new supported residential services at the rear of Gillies Flats.
He also served on the state and federal committees of the Australian Medical Acupuncture College for over 25 years, becoming a senior lecturer and training more than 300 doctors in medical acupuncture. Overall, he was a clinical mentor in acupuncture for 40 years.
Dr Ghaie also enjoyed travelling to India, where he taught acupuncture and donated equipment to physiotherapists at the Raphael Centre in Dehradun, who house and treat residents with physical and intellectual disabilities and leprosy.
In 2010, he was nominated and awarded the Rural Doctor’s Award, recognising regional and rural doctors who have contributed to their communities for more than 35 years.
Dr Ghaie was also awarded a Lifetime Membership from the Australian Medical Acupuncture College in 2012 for his outstanding contribution.
In 2019, he moved to Geelong and reduced his workload to part time, with the administrative support of his wife, Anna. Together, they developed a clinic at Saint John of God Hospital where he continued to treat many patients from Maryborough.
In September last year, The Advertiser reported Dr Ghaie’s retirement after marking 50 years of working as a GP.
Dr Ghaie died on April 10, 2026, and is survived by his wife Anna, and his children Paul, Julia, Jessica and Charlotte.
In a statement provided by his family upon his retirement, they said Dr Ghaie was “extremely grateful for the opportunities given and the numerous people who have shared his journey with him”.