Mogo Day Surgery is now closed, with patients being referred elsewhere. Photo: Mogo Day Surgery.
The sudden closure of a well-established South Coast day surgery centre has left hundred of patients in limbo, facing long waits in the public system or having to travel as far away as Canberra.
Mogo Day Surgery, owned by Ross Richmond of Wahroonga, went into voluntary administration on Monday without warning and as yet any explanation.
Chad Rapsey from Rapsey Griffiths Insolvency and Advisory was appointed Administrator of The Surgical Chamber Pty Ltd.
Ross Richmond and Sanjay Singh are listed as directors, although Mr Singh – who founded the business – retired last month and when approached said he no longer had any involvement with the company.
Mr Richmond is the sole director and shareholder of Australian Regional Health Pty Ltd, a 50 per cent owner of The Surgical Chamber Pty Ltd.
Receptionist Shamia Woodard said all procedures at the clinic had been placed on hold or cancelled while everyone was referred on to the public system while the future of the business was determined.
Ms Woodard said patients would have to go public or travel north to Ulladulla, which only performed certain procedures, south to Bega for orthopaedic procedures, and inland to Canberra.
“We have a lot of surgical specialists, like geriatricians. All those elderly patients are going to have to go to Canberra,” she said.
“It will leave quite a few people without an option.”
All staff had been made redundant and the administration was spending Wednesday and Thursday cancelling surgeries and informing patents.
They had been told to expect an update in about a month but she believed a buyer was being sought for the business.
Mr Rapsey said 17 people had lost their jobs but Ms Woodard said the busy practice employed 20 to 30 nurses on various arrangements and used 11 doctors and four anaesthetists.
A small number of staff had been retained to assist the administration.
Mr Rapsey said he had requested the Directors explain the circumstances leading to the voluntary administration.
“The Administrator will conduct independent investigations and then provide a report to the company’s creditors in due course,” he said.
Mr Rapsey could not say how much the company owed or how many creditors there were.
“It is too early to know the outcome at this stage,” he said.
Mr Rapsey expected to run an expressions of interest campaign to seek proposals for the sale or restructuring of the business, saying interested parties should contact the Administrator’s office as soon as possible.
The first creditors meeting was expected to be held online on 12 April. Creditors would be provided with details in due course.
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