General Practitioners
Active Health Portland have a variety of both Full time and Part time General Practitioners available each day.
Active Health Portland is a teaching clinic and regulalry have both Medical Students and Registrars working alongside our senior General Practioners.
Dr Margaret Garde
Dr Garde arrived in Portland to commence work at what was then “Portland Medical Group” in Otway St in December 1984. Since then she has filled roles in Emergency Medicine, Hospital care, Family Planning, Public Health, Indigenous Health, Chronic Disease Management and more recently has achieved qualifications and experience in Medical Education.
At Active Health she runs continuing education for all health staff and teaches the two medical students who are attached to the clinic.
Dr Garde currently only see’s patients with the student doctors and helps with the overflow of patients while other doctors are on leave. She does not see patients regularly.
Dr Deborah Carrington
Dr Deborah Carrington graduated with honours from the University of Melbourne in 2008 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. In 2016, Deborah was awarded the Richard Gutch Medal for achieving the highest results in Victoria in the RACGP Fellowship Examinations. She holds a Diploma of Child Health from the University of Sydney and has completed studies with Australasian Lactation Courses. Deborah has now completed accreditation in Neuroprotective Developmental Care with Possums Education. Her areas of special interest are breastfeeding and other infant feeding support, unsettled babies, sleep issues, maternal mental health, tongue tie assessments and release. She is a mum of four children and loves supporting families as they navigate the challenges and joys of parenthood.
Dr Daryl Pedler
Dr Pedler graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1972 and has extensive experience in both General Practice and Emergency Medicine. His interest in medical education also led to senior teaching roles within the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and both Monash and Deakin Universities. Within clinical medicine his interests are in preventive care, health promotion and patient communication.
Dr Farideh Lashkary
Dr Farideh was born in Iran and was awarded a scholarship to study Medicine in India . While working as a volunteer doctor in an Indian village she met her husband, John. She then moved to Australia and has lived in rural Victoria on a farm for the last 30 years with her husband and daughter. Dr Farideh’s professional interests include mental health and preventive medicine. She enjoys working in country Victoria, having previously been based in Hamilton, Bendigo and Camperdown.
