What we handle in these rooms
Two dispensing GPs carrying CMSA diplomas, surgical skills and IV certification, running full-scope family medicine in George Central. Skin surgery, IUDs, HIV medicine, mental health, clinical infusions and same-building diagnostics, most of it finished in the visit that starts it.
The last section is where we stop, and why. Those are stocking decisions and shared-care choices, made so you get the better outcome, and we stay your family doctors either way.
Minor surgery, under local anaesthetic, same visit where we can
Dr Lakay holds Basic Surgical Skills certification and runs the practice's procedural list. Most of this is done at the visit it is found, not booked into somebody else's theatre three weeks out.
- Skin lesion excision, punch biopsy and shave biopsy, with specimens sent for histology
- Abscess incision and drainage
- Ingrown toenail surgery
- Suturing and wound care, including review and suture removal here
- Corticosteroid, joint and trigger-point injections
- Ear syringing
Women's health, led by a female GP, in-rooms
Dr Lakay leads women's health at NeoHealth. Cervical screening, contraception and hormonal care are handled here rather than referred onward, which for most women removes an entire gynaecology appointment from the pathway.
- Cervical screening including HPV PCR testing, with the lab result explained by the doctor who took it
- IUD insertion and removal, copper and hormonal, under local anaesthetic
- Contraception across every method, matched to your history rather than to a default
- PCOS assessment and management
- Menopause and hormone therapy, including transdermal oestrogen and micronised progesterone
- Antenatal and postnatal care, with a published triage rule for who goes to obstetrics from booking
- STI testing and treatment
Child health, by a GP with postgraduate paediatric training
Dr Chellan holds the Diploma in Child Health (CMSA) and has passed Part I FC Paed(SA), the primary examination written at registrar level. He is a GP, not a paediatrician, and that training is why children are assessed here rather than referred by reflex.
- Newborn and well-baby checks, growth and development
- Acute childhood illness, including the respiratory and febrile presentations that fill winter
- Childhood asthma, eczema and allergy
- ADHD and autism spectrum concerns assessed here, not screened and sent away
- Flu and tetanus vaccination in-rooms, with the full national schedule checked at every visit
HIV medicine at a depth most private rooms refer out
Dr Chellan holds the Diploma in HIV Management (CMSA). Both doctors are accredited on Discovery's Premier Plus HIV GP network. This is not testing and onward referral: it is the whole course of care, held here.
- Same-day or 24 to 48 hour ART initiation, per SA HIV Clinicians Society guidance
- Second and third-line regimens, treatment failure workup and resistance testing
- TB co-infection managed alongside ART
- PrEP with baseline and three-monthly monitoring, and PEP started inside the 72-hour window
- PMTCT co-managed across both doctors, with ART continued through breastfeeding
- Transfers-in continued without a gap, with a continuation script issued at the transfer visit
Clinical IV therapy, doctor-assessed, not a drip bar
Dr Lakay is FPD-certified in IV Vitamin Therapy and runs the practice's infusions. Most of what an IV line is useful for in general practice has nothing to do with wellness: it is treatment that would otherwise mean a casualty queue.
- IV rehydration for gastroenteritis, vomiting or poor intake where oral fluids are not keeping up
- IV antibiotics where an infection needs intravenous treatment without admission, including continuing a hospital-initiated course
- IV analgesia and anti-emetics for acute pain or intractable nausea
- Electrolyte correction where bloods show a deficit that warrants intravenous replacement
- Micronutrient infusions, on clinical indication and never on request alone
Mental health, chronic disease and diagnostics, held here
Dr Chellan holds an FPD certification in Clinical Management of Mental Health. Chronic disease and mental health are core general practice at NeoHealth, with the diagnostics to support them in the same building.
- Depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout, postnatal depression and adjustment disorders assessed, diagnosed and treated
- ADHD diagnosed in adults and children on comprehensive clinical assessment
- Chronic disease across the Chronic Disease List, with scheme registration handled by the practice
- 12-lead ECG and spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility, interpreted at the same visit
- Bloods drawn on site and walked to the SANAS-accredited laboratory in the same centre
- Acute medication dispensed at the consultation under each doctor's Section 22C(1)(a) licence, included in the published consultation fee
Where we stop, and why
A practice that will not tell you where it stops has not thought about it. Everything below is one of two things: something we choose not to stock or run here, or something a specialist team does better. Neither is a statement about what a GP is permitted to do, and we assess first and stay involved through every referral.
Where a specialist team gets you a better result
We perform a wide range of minor procedures under local anaesthetic. Some procedures look minor and still reach better safety or cosmetic outcomes with a specialist team, so we refer those and stay in the pathway with you.
- Suspected skin malignancy. Where clinical or dermoscopy assessment suggests possible melanoma, basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, excision goes to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for proper margins and follow-up.
- Cosmetically significant lesions on the face. Where the cosmetic result matters more than the medical urgency, a plastic surgeon or aesthetic-medicine practitioner will give a better outcome.
- Lesions deeper than the dermis or larger than about 1 cm. Where closure would benefit from advanced suturing technique, a surgeon does the better job.
- Genital, intraoral and eyelid sites. Referred to the specialist for the site: urologist, dentist or oculoplastic surgeon.
- Procedures in children needing sedation or general anaesthesia. We do not sedate or anaesthetise here. Paediatric procedural sedation belongs in a hospital setting under a paediatric surgeon, per anaesthetic safety standards.
- Wounds with possible retained foreign material. Possible glass, metal or organic material needs imaging before closure, so these go for X-ray or ultrasound first, then come back to us.
Where a psychiatrist leads and we stay your family doctors
Mental health is core general practice here. Some conditions are led by a psychiatrist rather than by us, and that is a shared-care choice, not a handover.
- Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and complex PTSD are best led by a psychiatrist. We assess and diagnose at GP level, start urgent or initial treatment where it is indicated, and then bring psychiatry in to lead ongoing specialist management. The referral carries a written letter summarising the history, current medication and the reason for specialist input, which most medical aids require to unlock specialist benefits.
- Adult ADHD: stimulant initiation is often shared with a psychiatrist. We diagnose ADHD in adults and children on comprehensive clinical assessment. In straightforward cases we may start treatment ourselves; in more complex ones we involve psychiatry for stimulant initiation from the outset, and then manage ongoing scripts and monitoring here.
- Already under a psychiatrist? That is shared care, not a handover. We work alongside that plan: repeat scripts under the specialist's regimen, physical health and metabolic monitoring, side-effect review, and everything else a family practice does. You do not have to choose between us.
- We are not a crisis service. In acute crisis, including active thoughts of suicide with a plan, recent self-harm, or severe psychiatric symptoms like psychosis, contact emergency services or go directly to the nearest emergency room.
What we choose not to stock, and where to get it
Two stocking decisions, both about cold chain, shelf space and how schemes prefer to deliver medicine. Neither is a limit on what a GP may prescribe or administer, and we assess and direct either way.
- We do not run a full childhood EPI-SA vaccine programme on site. We stock Influvac, the tetanus booster and Hepatitis B for the registered indications. The national schedule is delivered free at every public clinic, and Clicks Clinic, Dis-Chem Clinic and some private paediatricians run paid private programmes on the same schedule. Dr Chellan checks your child against the schedule at their visits, tells you what is due, and helps you follow it at the right facility. If access is the problem, say so and we will help you find a route.
- We do not routinely stock adult catch-up or full travel vaccine ranges. For HPV, MMR or varicella we review your history with you, help you arrange it at a public clinic or private vaccination service, and write the note they will ask for. For travel medicine, dedicated travel clinics carry the full range, and yellow fever certificates must be issued at a SAHPRA-approved centre.
- We do not keep chronic medicine stock in the rooms. We manage chronic conditions and prescribe chronic medication in full. Your script goes to a pharmacy of your choice, which is how most schemes prefer chronic supplies delivered, or by courier through our Medipost partnership, usually within 2 to 3 working days.
Where the honest answer is a limit of the test, or of the format
Some boundaries are not about who does the work. They are about what a test can actually tell you, and what a screen cannot do.
- A normal resting ECG is not a rule-out. It cannot fully assess coronary artery anatomy (angiography or CT angiogram), valve function (echocardiogram), exertional changes (stress ECG) or intermittent rhythm disturbance (Holter over 24 to 48 hours). Where symptoms warrant it we say so and arrange the right test rather than letting a normal tracing reassure beyond its reach.
- Spirometry needs a child old enough to follow the instructions. Reliable results typically start from age 5 or 6. For younger children we coordinate paediatric respiratory referral.
- Some things cannot be done over video. Telehealth handles follow-ups, script renewals for stable patients, results and triage. Physical examination, procedures, vaccinations, bloods and ECGs need you in the room, and if a video consultation turns out to need hands-on assessment, the doctor says so during the call and we arrange it.
- We are a general practice, not an emergency unit. Chest pain, severe shortness of breath, stroke symptoms, uncontrolled bleeding or serious injury: go straight to an emergency unit or call an ambulance rather than coming here first.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a full-scope general practice or a referral point?
Full scope. Acute and chronic disease, child health, women's health, HIV medicine, mental health, minor surgery, clinical IV therapy, telehealth, occupational health and in-rooms diagnostics are all handled here by Dr Chellan and Dr Lakay. Referral happens when a specialist team will give you a better outcome, and we stay your family doctors through it.
What can be done in one visit?
More than most people expect. A skin lesion can be excised and sent for histology at the visit it is found. An IUD can be fitted at the consultation that discusses it. Bloods are drawn on site and walked to the accredited laboratory in the same building. Acute medication is dispensed in the room under our own dispensing licences, included in the published consultation fee.
Do you diagnose and treat mental health conditions, or only refer?
We diagnose and treat. Dr Chellan holds an FPD certification in Clinical Management of Mental Health and manages depression, anxiety, insomnia, burnout, postnatal depression and adjustment disorders, and diagnoses ADHD in adults and children. Conditions best led by a psychiatrist are referred with a full letter, and we remain involved for physical health monitoring and repeat scripts under the specialist plan.
Can a GP really do minor surgery?
Yes, and it is standard general practice where the training and setup exist. Dr Lakay holds Basic Surgical Skills certification and performs lesion excision, punch and shave biopsy, abscess drainage, ingrown toenail surgery, suturing, and joint and trigger-point injections under local anaesthetic. We do not use sedation or general anaesthesia here, and lesions needing wider margins or specialised anatomical expertise are referred for the better outcome.
Is your IV therapy a wellness drip service?
No. Every session starts with a clinical consultation with Dr Lakay, who is FPD-certified in IV Vitamin Therapy. Most of the infusions we run are clinical: rehydration, intravenous antibiotics, analgesia and anti-emetics, electrolyte correction. Micronutrient protocols are matched to a clinical indication, never ordered off a menu, and there is a published list of situations where we decline to infuse at all.
Do you manage HIV, or test and refer?
We manage it. Dr Chellan holds the Diploma in HIV Management (CMSA), both doctors are accredited on Discovery's Premier Plus HIV GP network, and the practice handles ART initiation, treatment failure workup, resistance testing, second and third-line regimens, TB co-infection, PrEP, PEP and PMTCT. Confidentiality is enforced structurally on this site, not just promised.
Why publish your limits at all?
Because a practice that will not tell you where it stops has not thought about it. Knowing the edge of general practice is part of practising it properly, and every boundary on this page is either something we choose not to stock or something a specialist team does better. None of it is a statement about what a GP is permitted to do.
What if I am not sure which side of the line I am on?
Book. We can assess and manage at GP level. Where specialist skills, facilities or protocols will give you a better outcome, we bring those teams in and remain your family doctors through it. That decision is made at the consultation, not from a web page.
Book with the doctor who will do the work
Where
Suite 12, Prince Vintcent Square
Gloucester Avenue, George Central
Hours
Mon to Fri 09:00 to 17:00
Saturday 09:00 to 13:00
Reception
044 868 0707