Dr Jorg Kemper, front, with baby Charli Ferguson, baby Henry Beattie with former maternity manager Elaine Ziesler, Rebecca Thorwesten, St John of God Maternity Manager Joyce Coyle, Alanna Masters, former maternity manager Siosi Oliver with baby Andre Dean. 88226 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
By DANIELLE GALVIN
SOME 5,000 babies later, Dr Korg Kemper says he still gets a thrill when he delivers newborns.
The gynaecologist and obstetrician is celebrating 20 years at St John of God in Berwick.
“It’s the best hospital I’ve worked in, there’s such a lovely atmosphere and a lot of camaraderie,” he said.
“The midwives and the obstetricians get along really well.
“There’s an amazingly supportive team of people from anaesthetists, to paediatricians, midwives and various GPs.”
Just a couple of hours after delivering twin girls last Wednesday afternoon, Dr Kemper met former maternity managers from 20 years ago Siosi Oliver and Elaine Ziesler. He also met, for the second time, two of his early delivered babies, Rebecca Thorwesten and Alanna Masters. Both girls are studying at Deakin University.
“I think just simply delivering babies, it’s such a thrill,” he said.
In February 1992, Dr Kemper began practicing in Berwick. Prior to this parents relied on local GPs to deliver their baby at St John of God Berwick with back-up obstetrics support from Dandenong Hospital.
He delivered the first baby where he had been responsible for the woman’s antenatal care in October 1992.
Dr Kemper is also credited with being the first specialist obstetrician to base himself in Berwick.
“At that time, there were obstetricians based in Dandenong and that’s where the action was,” he said.
“I was the first one to come here permanently and stay here which was a good move.”
German-born Dr Kemper, who lives in Narre Warren North with his wife and two children, said it could be a trying job working weekends and after hours, but he didn’t regret the move to Berwick from his city job.
“I have never regretted my decision,” he said.
“What’s more lovely is I occasionally bump into families whose children I’ve delivered, some of whom are now adults.”
A lot of Dr Kemper’s patients come back to him for their second and third babies, and even years later when their children grow up into young women.
“Most people when they’ve seen an obstetrician once, they are likely to go back to them,” he said.
“It is a compliment when they want to see you again.”
In the years since starting out in his field, Dr Kemper has seen a number of changes and medical advancements.
He said the most important changes had been the development of new technologies to determine the health and well-being of the baby inside the womb and the survival rates of premature babies.
“Despite two decades of medical advances, what never changes is the thrill and joy of delivering a newborn – if that ever leaves me then I should probably retire,” he said.
“It is a lovely thing to do to deliver babies.”
