More than 100 people packed into the Edenhope Mechanics Institute Hall for a public meeting centred on the resignation of Amjad Hafizullah.

A locum doctor will visit Edenhope hospital, serviced by Lalani Udalamatta.

Dr Hafizullah provided a statement to the meeting, thanking the community for its support following his resignation.

‘‘At this stage Dr Amjad still remains the consulting GP for residents of the nursing home and Lakes Hostel wing at Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital,’’ the statement showed.

‘‘Dr Amjad has handed over all clinical responsibilities to Dr Lalani Udalamatta.

‘‘He will no longer have any duties at the hospital.

‘‘Dr Amjad will continue to work at Edenhope Medical Clinic as a general practitioner.’’

Meeting convener Grant Campbell said he had worked with hospital staff and Dr Hafizullah to determine the circumstances of his resignation.

Hospital acting chief executive Anne Bates told the meeting she and hospital board president Ron Hawkins asked Dr Hafizullah to reconsider his resignation.

‘‘We talked through some issues and there was nothing glaring. There were a lot of personal issues from Dr Amjad’s point of view,’’ she said.

‘‘We talked with Dr Amjad several times more and asked him to reconsider that decision, but that’s his personal decision.

‘‘We were very sad about that as well, because we know what sort of effect that would have on people.’’

A number of residents said they believed a dispute between staff was the cause of Dr Hazifullah’s resignation.

Mrs Bates said she needed specific complaints to be able to take action.

‘‘Dr Amjad has not identified to me any issues that I can follow up,’’ she said.

Dr Hafizullah will make home visits as part of his clinical work.

Residents also questioned why the hospital was not supplied by Edenhope Pharmacy.

Mrs Bates said the hospital was supplied from Horsham because of State Government programs. She said the aged-care home was supplied from Adelaide.

‘‘At the time we required that system, that service was not available at the pharmacy here,’’ she said.

‘‘That’s why we’ve had to look elsewhere for it and we now get that service on a three-year contract.

‘‘We certainly can look at the tendering process and give the local pharmacy the opportunity to bid.’’

Doctor Ron Bade suggested an independent doctor could run a review of the hospital, but Mrs Bates said that would be against protocol.

Hospital chief executive Emma Kealy, who is on leave while she is the Nationals candidate for Lowan, was at the meeting but did not speak publicly.