They have owned and operated Narooma Medical and Specialist Centre since 2016, but saw the need in the Bega Valley for another service. This led them to launch a new practice in Bega under the umbrella franchise of MultiCity Medical Centre.

"We wanted to open a practice in Bega because we are the only bulk-billing clinic, along with the Blue House Surgery, left on the South Coast who are bulk-billing at the moment," said Dr Bagari.

"There are a lot of patients coming even from Eden and Merimbula and the whole Bega Valley to our Narooma centre and so that's why I decided to start a practice there," he said.

Dr Bagari moved to Australia from India 10 years ago where he worked as a medical officer in the army. This experience taught him the value of working in rural areas and villages within India, and he's dedicated his life to serving regional areas.

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When he moved to Australia he worked at a skin cancer and pain management clinic in Townsville, but when he realised there was a dire need on the South Coast he moved and opened the Narooma practice.

"The only reason I moved to the South Coast from Townsville was to ensure that we have the services we need in this region," he said.

Dr Bagari said he had chosen to open a new practice in Bega as he often had patients travelling from as far as Eden to access the clinic's bulk-billing services.

He said bulk-billing was not possible for a lot of GPs due to the fact that the only payment received by the doctor is $39 through Medicare, whereas the industry recommended rate remained between $76 and $84.

"Bulk-billing is when the doctor accepts the payment provided by Medicare directly without charging any extra fee to the patient," he said. "An out of pocket fee of any kind [for the patient] is not permitted when you are bulk-billing."

He said many doctors were struggling to maintain bulk-billing services because the rebate was initially frozen for four years in July 2014 and extended in the 2016 federal budget.

"The freeze is basically a way for governments to say that doctors need to start private billing in one way or another," he said. "Because of the freeze, it's really hard to sustain general practice by just bulk-billing.

"Hopefully they'll increase it eventually, but you also need to understand that it's a rebate, it's not the replacement of the fee."

He said many doctors were "kind hearted" and just wanted to help their patients receive the treatment they need, so they may continue to bulk-bill and incur the loss instead of having their patients suffer high medical bills.

"Unfortunately as a business model it may not something that is sustainable forever, so that's why most of the practices on the South Coast, and around Australia are going to private billing or mixed billing," he said.

He said it wouldn't be long before most Australian medical practices moved to a private model, even GPs in metropolitan areas where bulk-billing is more common.

"There have been so many surgeries that have closed because they can't sustain the bulk-billing," he said. "(Others) are on the verge of closing down because it's not a sustainable thing."

He said it was all linked to whether or not the rebate was increased.

"I'll keep doing bulk-billing until the time that I can't make it sustainable any longer, but even my contracted doctors are talking to me about private billing," he said.

"They will do it at the start but I cannot guarantee it in the coming years. They understand what I am trying to do, that's why they are sticking to it and are willing to help me out until it is sustainable."

He gave the example that in five years' time the practice may not be able to continue the model if the rebate stayed stagnate as the costs of rent, electricity, and consumables would all continue to rise.

A lot of interest has been sparked by patients within the Bega Valley, with many already registered as patients at the new GP which is likely to open by the end of April.

"We are just doing the cabinetry work, and the signage should be up in the next one to two weeks' time," Dr Bagari said.

"We are planning to run it seven days, but it depends on the doctors. We will definitely run it at least five days a week from around 7am until 6 or 7pm."

Patient medical files will be accessible at any of the MultiCity Medical Centres centres across their locations at Bega, Narooma, Tuross Head, Batemans Bay, Gerringong, and Sydney.

To fill out a patient form click here.