Dr Ravin Sadhai OAM has spent much of his career sharing his medical knowledge beyond the four walls of his practice. His two initiatives, the “Pub Clinic,” and the “Ladies Lounge,” bring medicine to the community in a way that is accessible and casual.
“Most blokes don’t generally listen to what you say if you simply sit them down and force them to listen. [In the Pub Clinic] we don’t have PowerPoint presentations – it’s just a casual gathering where we can have a beer and a chat.” Dr Ravin Sadhai OAM
Dr Sadhai began envisioning the program, which has now been running for 17 years, after recognising a pattern amongst men who had passed away whilst still in their forties and fifties. Most of them hadn’t had a medical check up in years.
“My question then was, ‘how do I take my clinic to these fellows?’,” he says.
Dr Sadhai’s solution was to take his practice to a local pub in the Victorian regional town of Bacchus Marsh, an area he’s served for 20 years. At the Pub Clinic, men across the neighbourhood, a range of specialist doctors as well as allied professionals gather for a chat and a casual discussion. Attendees also get their blood pressure and sugar levels tested, their weight and height measured and tips on what to discuss with their GP.
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Dr Ravin Sadhai OAM
“Anecdotal evidence suggests the initiative has led to more men going to their trusted GP and getting tested,” Dr Sadhai says.
Since starting in 2008, the Pub Clinic has seen a steep rise in attendees with nearly 130 people attending the most recent event held in 2025. Its success has led to the creation of a sister event, The Ladies Lounge, which specifically focuses on women’s issues.
However, Dr Sadhai was a familiar face in Bacchus Marsh and beyond even prior to these initiatives.
In 2005, Dr Sadhai combined his love for footy and medicine by becoming a medic for the Bacchus Marsh Football club. Soon after, he worked as a medic for the Victorian Football League.
“To this day, I am still in touch with many of those players I met a good 15 years ago. Some of them still come and see me for their check-ups.”
Whilst being on the field was his dream come true, it was his work in palliative care which gave him the most satisfaction.
“As a GP, most of our interactions with patients are transactional. If you’re like me and you’ve stayed in one area for a long time, then you can learn a little more about their stories and families. But, in palliative care, you very quickly develop a deep understanding of your patients,” he explains.
“It is a privilege and an honour to take care of patients in that context,” he says
To Dr Sadhai, receiving the OAM is a reminder of the support of his loved ones, particularly his late father. After leaving South Africa in 1977 at seven years of age and arriving at Bacchus Marsh, Dr Sadhai witnessed first- hand the impact that his father, Dr Jay Sadhai, had on the town. He would go on to practice in the same town for 30 years, all whilst being an active anti-apartheid activist.
“He’s the biggest inspiration in my life, not only in terms of how he worked, but also in terms of what he did for his community,” Dr Sadhai emphasises.
His father’s legacy lives on in The Pub Clinic, the Ladies Lounge and in Dr Sadhai’s other endeavours all of which have allowed him to foster unique and strong relationships with his patients. These relationships don’t just save lives, but have strengthened the Bacchus Marsh community as a whole.
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