Two of the three Wimmera schools included in the state government's Doctors in Secondary Schools program have been without a medical professional for nearly a term.
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St Arnaud and Ararat secondary schools confirmed they had been waiting for replacement doctors. Horsham College is the other Wimmera school selected to participate.
The initiative, introduced in term one of 2017, sees general practitioners funded to attend up to 100 Victorian government secondary schools up to one day a week.
St Arnaud Secondary College principal Tony Hand said the school had been without a doctor for all of term three - which ended on Friday - having first been included in the program from term one, 2018.
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"It is a worthwhile program, but we need to look at incentives so it's appropriately staffed," he said.
"All the doctors that work in St Arnaud work three days a week, and if you ring up to make an appointment it can take two or three weeks, but under this program you could get doctors in within a week. It was great while it was here, but when you can't staff it you don't have a program."
Mr Hand said the doctor supported students with GP services and referrals to mental health organisations among other services.
All schools involved were provided a new building out of which the doctor could practice. Mr Hand said Bendigo Community Health had the responsibility of finding a doctor for the school under the program.
"When it started we didn't have a doctor for a while and the new building just sat there, then we had a doctor for just over six months from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Tuesdays who was very well-received," he said.
"Our service was one day a week, so what BCH did was join us up with a couple of other schools like Wedderburn College to make it a more attractive proposition. Now we've been almost three months without a doctor at the school."
Ararat Secondary College acting principal Ellie McDougall said a new doctor was starting from term four, after the school had been without one for more than six months.
"The department has organised to fill the vacancy working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service," she said.
"It's been very positive for students, and we also have a counsellor and a youth officer who can work in conjunction with the doctor out of the new space created."
The Mail-Times has contacted Horsham College for comment.
The Department of Education funds six Primary Health Networks to engage medical centres to provide medical services to each participating school, including a GP and a practice nurse.
A spokeswoman said the department was working in partnership with Primary Health Networks to secure a replacement doctor for St Arnaud Secondary College.
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