Mukesh Haikerwal

Haikerwal was born in Lucknow, India, to Indian-born parents, who were British citizens based in London and working in Nigeria at the time. At the age of six he was sent to a boarding school in England. His parents returned to England when he was ten years old. He was subsequently educated at Eltham College, London, and at Leicester University.[1]

Haikerwal was employed for some time as a doctor at Leicester General Hospital, working 72-hour weeks, then more on weekends. He lobbied for better conditions, later telling The Age newspaper "If you want someone to work hard, pay them properly and give them good conditions. If you've got doctors that are working and happy, they'll do a better job. And the patients will benefit at the end of the day, too."[2]

Haikerwal travelled to Australia in 1982 to visit his family and the country. Eight years later, he emigrated permanently and set up a general practice in Melbourne's western suburbs, where he still works.[3]

On 27 September 2008, Haikerwal nearly died after being assaulted and robbed by five men near Dennis Reserve in Williamstown, Victoria.[4] Haikerwal sustained serious head injuries in the attack, and was in a coma for 24 hours, remaining in hospital for two months. He underwent emergency brain surgery to remove a blood clot,[5] and suffered a brain injury which required him to learn how to walk and talk again.[6][7]

In the Australia Day Honours in 2011, Haikerwal was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for "distinguished service to medical administration, to the promotion of public health through leadership roles with professional organisations, particularly the Australian Medical Association, to the reform of the Australian health system through the optimisation of information technology, and as a general practitioner".[8] In 2018, he was upgraded to a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honour, for "eminent service to medical governance, administration, and technology, and to medicine, through leadership roles with a range of organisations, to education and the not-for-profit sector, and to the community of western Melbourne".[9]

Haikerwal is married to Dr Karyn Alexander. They have three sons: Ajaya, Suresh and Jeevan.[10]