'Doctor, do you speak Russian?'
The day Dr Hasnani opened her Sydney medical practice in Sydney was May 17, 1999.
It was a huge step for Hasnani and her husband, immigrants from Pakistan with two young children. The doctor remembers how difficult it was for her to return to the medical profession after relocating to Australia.
“In Pakistan I graduated as a doctor," she says. "At that moment I was about 25-years-old and almost immediately after we moved to Thailand where we lived for five years.
“And then we came to Australia, where I realised that my degree wasn't recognised. With two small children I thought to myself, 'Ok, how difficult it can be, I will pass the Australian Medical Council Exam'. In the end, I got the necessary accreditation, however it wasn’t easy at all.”
After sitting her exams, Hasnani worked in different medical practices but always wanted independence in her work, and so made the decision to open her own clinic.
Dr Hasnani opened her medical practice in May, 1999 Source: Supplied
“I was working for other doctors and I wasn't happy – there was no autonomy and there were challenges in working with other people. But when I started here [in her own clinic], I realised another challenge: the language barrier.”
At that moment Hasnani was fluent in English, Urdu and could hold a conversation in Thai, and she presumed that would be more than enough to be able to see patients in Australia.
“Every day I was approached by patients with the question, ‘Doctor, do you speak Russian? No? That’s a shame.’ I remember coming home from work one day and telling my husband that we had made a big mistake opening a practice in the area where most people spoke Russian.
“But then I told to myself that we've already borrowed the money, we've made so much effort and we've got to give it a go. So, I joined an evening class for learning Russian.”
It was only later, when Dr Hasnani discovered nearby community housing with a lot of Russian pensioners living in the flats, that they became the main patients of her practice.
'She understands me and I understand her'
Serafima Rybka has attended the Dr Hasnani's practice for more than 10 years.
“I live close by and it is very convenient for me to come here,” she says. “We know her backstory and she knows everything about our family. And the most important thing is that she speaks Russian well. She understands me and I understand her and thank god for that!”
Galina Tereshenko, another Russian-speaking patient, agrees with Mrs Rybka. She says she used to visit a Russian doctor, but when they stopped taking clients, she became concerned by her limited English.
Doctor Hasnani and her Russian-speaking patient Serafima Rybka Source: SBS Russian
“I was very distressed as I didn’t know who to turn to. I can’t freely describe in English everything that’s troubling me. Then someone told me about Dr Hasnani and I decided to try to go to her for an appointment.
"And now I’m happy to say I’ve been her patient for many years. She is very attentive and not like a lot of the doctors who quickly hear you out and write a prescription – she really cares about your wellbeing.”
Galina says that for Russians a doctor isn’t someone you see once, it’s important to form a relationship with them and for a lot of people their doctors become somewhat of lifelong friends.
"At times I will say a word she doesn’t understand, and I start explaining what it means. So I teach her a little Russian during our appointments.”
“They always bring me souvenirs from Russia, I regularly get babushka dolls as presents”
“Russian is a very difficult language,” says Dr Hasnani. “Especially the grammar. I’m still learning, my patients help me learn."
The doctor says approximately a third of her patients are Russian speakers, and though young migrants are often fluent in English, it is harder for the elderly to learn a new language from scratch.
“Russian people are very generous and thankful. Many of my patients are like a family to me and it brings me joy when they refer to me as ‘one of their own’, it touches me deeply. They often bring me souvenirs from Russia, I regularly get Matryoshkas [babushka dolls] as presents.”
The doctor says she has also come to recognise the importance of caring for elderly parents in the Russian culture.
“Traditionally, it is important for Russian people to care for the elderly, looking after their health, protecting and nursing them. I got that from my observations of working with them for all these years.”
Qudsia Hasnani and her family Source: Supplied
Work helped to overcome a great loss
Three and a half years ago Dr Hasnani was having an ordinary day at work, seeing her patients. Her husband was just about to come back from a work trip when she got the call.
“I very tragically and suddenly lost my husband in 2016. It was a very hard time in my life. I got back to my work because it was the only part of my life that stayed the same as everything else dramatically changed. My work gave me the strength that I needed to survive.
“My two daughters and their husbands supported me through it all. I am also a grandmother to five beautiful grandchildren. My loss made me realise the importance of human life, the importance of living life to the fullest and enjoying every moment.
“Of course sometimes it gets hard and I get plagued by the thoughts of what could have been if my husband didn’t work so much and simply slowed down, he could still be here with us. However, time heals. And I must move on.”
Dr Hasnani says the experiences she has with her patients provide her with great fulfillment.
“I love my job very much as every day there’s something new. People with the most different problems attend my practice and if I can do something to help, it gives me great satisfaction... Every single person has their own story, their own life experiences and I treasure the fact that we can share those with one another.”
