Tugun doctor David Ryan is calling on the Queensland government to streamline its COVID-19 exemptions process after finding himself stuck on the wrong side of the state's border.
Dr Ryan has been waiting 12 days for a response to his application to travel home to his wife and two young daughters in Queensland.
The general surgeon has been waiting it out in Lismore, where he also works as a visiting medical officer at the city's base hospital.
Dr Ryan inadvertently fell foul of Queensland border restrictions while doing his one-week-a-month job as a visiting medical officer at Griffith Base Hospital in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, which was deemed by Queensland to be a COVID-19 hotspot, despite not having had any cases of the virus since last year.
Outside the Queensland-New South Wales border bubble — and with no opportunity to get home before the tighter restrictions came into force — Dr Ryan was told he would have to fly into Queensland and go into a government-approved quarantine facility for 14-days.
"I understand there are people in more difficult circumstances," Dr Ryan said.
Despite making representations to the Cross Border Commissioner, the Member for Tweed and the Member for Currumbin in Queensland, Dr Ryan said he expected he would have to remain in Lismore until his 14-day quarantine period expired.
Meanwhile, his wife has had to give up her work as a midwife until he can return to help with the care of their children. He will have to put his work in Griffith on hold and he will miss being with his youngest daughter when she turns five on Thursday.
