A doctor who has been working in Cobargo for decades will continue to tend to his patients despite his surgery burning down.
Dr Jeffrey Lee has been practicing as a GP and specialist physician in Cobargo for just over 30 years.
The Badja Forest Road fire swept through the town and destroyed homes and businesses on New Year's Eve, including Dr Lee's surgery located out at his property.
His home, located a short distance from his surgery, survived.
In the days following the fire, Dr Lee has continued taking appointments from his regular, local patients from a solar-powered motorhome at his property.
"I kept getting people contacting me for help, so I just set up a surgery in here," Dr Lee said.
"For consultations it's actually quite comfortable. It's bigger than most surgery consulting rooms actually."
Solar-panels attached to the motorhome provide hot water and lighting, which is lacking in the town still facing power outages as a result of the fires.
Dr Lee lost most of his medical tools when his surgery burnt down in the blaze and he is only equipped to take some consultations and tend to minor wounds.
He has found most of his patients are seeking mental health support.
"[I am seeing] people who have lost their houses, had near-death experiences, and lost animals — which for a lot of them is more distressing than losing their homes," Dr Lee said.
"We've had a few friends who've only survived by sheltering in dams with wet, woollen blankets over their heads."
Mental health support services have been set up at the Cobargo Showgrounds for people wanting to seek help.
However, Dr Lee said he felt a need to tend to his regular patients as best as he could.
"These are traditional country people. They prefer to talk to someone they know is a local and they've known for a long time," he said.
It comes after Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died defending their family property at Wandella, about 10 kilometres north-west of Cobargo, in the Badja Forest Road fire.
Dr Lee said he felt a need to keep serving his community following the tragic loss and plans on building a new surgery in the future.
"We're Cobargites. We're resilient. We're used to doing it tough, used to relying on each other," he said.
"We're alive so we'll keep going."
