Popular doctor retires

A GP has left the surgery where he has worked for nearly four decades—but popular Dr Bhal Thakkar is not hanging up his stethoscope completely.

Dr Thakkar, who has been based at the Rawmarsh Health Centre on Barbers Avenue, will continue with locum work despite retiring last week from the practice where he has been based for the past 37 years.

The doctor, who recently celebrated his 75th birthday, arrived in the UK from Mumbai in 1960, working at Bradford Royal Infirmary before making his home in Rotherham.

After a short break in India between 1969 and 1972, when his wife, Rosina, had a taste of that country for three years, he returned to England.

During the following year, Dr Thakkar worked as a locum for the late Dr Harry Smith at Dale Road, Rawmarsh, eventually settling into the Rawmarsh Health Centre practice from 1975. To mark his retirement staff at the practice threw a surprise retirement party for Dr Thakkar.