Dr Jing Dong joins our Ormiston Team

Continuing the family tradition as a doctor, whilst having a soft spot as a GP for Immigrants.

Growing up, Dr Jing was used to medical environments, visiting hospitals with her mother and uncle who were doctors too. “Dad was a teacher, but that didn’t appeal like the work I saw my mum doing. Still, becoming a doctor in New Zealand required a big element of teaching, because the health system is so different in NZ to China. One of my great pleasures is being a GP for immigrants and taking them on the journey of understanding how to access Primary Care here. As an immigrant, when you arrive in NZ, there is a big learning curve, because there are no GPs in China. When people settle here they need to learn about their rights to healthcare. And the biggest bonus for them is access to preventative medicine.”

So, Dr Jing spends a lot of time educating immigrants to NZ about things like screening for breast, cervical and prostrate cancer as well as monitoring blood pressure and heart health.

“Of course, in China, the benefit of the set-up there is the swift access to specialists. The trade-off is that an appointment with a doctor might only be 5 minutes. And that would be totally focused on the main symptoms at hand. In contrast, in NZ, I get to spend up to 15 – 30 minutes with people, completing thorough health assessments. So, as a GP for immigrants, I have the added bonus of helping them settle in NZ. It’s really rewarding to give back to my people like that.”

Feedback from patients from Howick, to Burswood and East Tamaki, is that they appreciate how much time Dr Jing spends with them. The option to talk in English or Chinese with a bi-lingual doctor definitely helps.

A GP who loves looking after mental health (especially in a post-Covid environment)

Unsurprisingly, Dr Jing has noticed a real shift in mental health cases since the Pandemic. Notably, she says that pre-Covid, it was common to see about 4 people with mental health concerns a week. “After the lockdown at the end of 2021, a change was very evident. Now, I see 4 – 5 patients a day who need support with mental health.” Moreover, there is a split in presentations.

Firstly, she notices a group who have short-term concerns due to the stress Covid lockdowns circumstances. “Understandably, people have faced more financial pressures, changes in personal circumstances and work changes or redundancy. It’s my job to help people navigate this temporary time of change and come out the other side.” And naturally, in busy work centres like East Tamaki work has been especially busy for a GP like Jing Dong.

But, Dr Jing also noticed an amplification of mental health problems for people who has long-term depression or a predisposition to mental health conditions. So, she’s extra focused on supporting people to navigate this for the long term. So, Dr Jing spends time ensuring people can access the right support or psychologist care. “As a GP, I notice that immigrants away from their homes miss the bonds with their wider family the most. It can be a trigger.”

Becoming a mum herself has made Dr Jing a great GP for newborns and new mums.

The proud mum of twin girls, Dr Jing Dong has two toddlers who keep her and her partner on their toes. Having her babies in Covid times, Dr Jing knows all too well the challenges parents have faced during this time. “As a mum, I find it much easier to recognise post-natal symptoms like Post-Natal Depression when mums bring in a newborn to see the GP. Likewise, it’s easier to open up and walk the journey. There’s no such thing as too much help. But, often, I notice mums of newborns often don’t know to ask for support, even from a GP. As new mums, we discover we’ve underestimated the work that comes with caring for a little person, right? But in Covid, it was even harder to access support.” says Dr Jing.

So, Dr Jing loves empowering mums of newborns with connections to local support with lactation or feeding, such as Te Rito Ora. Similarly, it’s often just as important to have a well-needed chat.

Above all, Dr Jing Dong’s optimistic attitude shines through. “I can’t wait to meet more of the Ormiston community and become a part of this lovely clinic. I’m joining at the same time with an old colleague, Dr Lily Liu, so that’s going to be extra fun. “

Enrolling online with Dr Jing Dong is fast and easy

To enrol with Dr Jing, complete your enrolment online. It only takes a few minutes. Next, simply let us know you’d like to go onto Dr Jing’s list.