Professor Al Khalafallah

Professor Al Khalafallah moved to Tasmania in 2005 to work as a Consultant Haematologist. Prof Khalafallah completed his post-graduate study in Haematology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He has worked in renowned academic institutions in Europe and Australia over the last 20 years.

Prof Khalafallah presented many scientific researches in different international and national haematology conferences. He has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been rewarded with several prizes for distinguished research work and presentations. Prof Khalafallah has published in prestigious medical journals such as The Lancet, British Medical Journal, British Journal of Haematology, Bone Marrow Transplantation and British Journal of Cancer. Prof Khalafallah has extensive clinical experience in renowned hospitals and universities world-wide and he applies up-to-date, best evidence based, medical practice.

Prof Khalafallah’s research interests include benign haematology such as iron metabolism, haemostasis, coagulation, thrombosis and bleeding disorders as well as malignant haematology diseases such as multiple myeloma and leukaemia as well lymphoma. Prof Khalafallah has published several research papers on innovative management of these diseases with a special emphasis on improving quality of life for patients and reducing the risk of complications, either of disease or treatment.

Prof Khalafallah is a regular invited speaker for many renowned hospitals and universities and medical meetings world-wide as he applies translational research in up-to-date, best evidence based, medical practice. He is a member of many medical international committees and societies that contributed in setting guidelines of treatment of perioperative anaemia. He was elected to represent Australia to write the International Consensuses Guidelines on postoperative anaemia, published in prestigious Journal of  Anaesthesia in 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30062700/

Since Prof Khalafallah moved to Tasmania as a Consultant Haematologist, he has conducted more than 50 pioneer translational clinical researches focusing on improving the health of Tasmanian patients. Prof Khalafallah’s research, dedication and contribution to the field of haematology is well received and highly appreciated not only in Tasmania, but world-wide. 

In order to access Prof Khalafallah’s research activity, please click here.

Dr Usira Vithanarachchi

Dr Usira Vithanarachchi is a Haematologist who joined the Specialist Care family in 2016 from The Royal Liverpool University Hospital in the UK. 

Dr Vithanarachchi completed his Haematology training in the United Kingdom under the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh and The Royal College of Pathologists, London. He worked at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital as a Consultant Haematologist with a special interest in Bone Marrow Transplantation. 
He was the principal investigator, co-investigator and a delegated member of several national and international clinical trials conducted by the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) in UK. He has contributed to several papers and poster presentations. 
He has a keen interest in medical teaching and was appointed a Senior Clinical Lecturer attached to the University of Tasmania. Dr Vithanarachchi continued his academic career with further publications and clinical research in Tasmania.
Dr Vithanarachchi has a special interest in both malignant and non-malignant haematological diseases such as lymphoma, myeloma, immune thrombocytopenia, iron overload, thrombosis and haemostasis. 

A/Prof Terry Hannan

A/Prof Terry Hannan has worked at the Launceston General Hospital since 2005. Prior to this he was a Consultant Physician for 40 years in General Internal Medicine and per-operative medicine in Sydney, mainly at the St George Private Hospital. 
He has worked with Prof Khalafallah at the Launceston General Hospital on many innovative translational clinical research projects and A/Prof Hannan was the former director of RACP Physician Training.
In addition to the work outlined above he has worked with Harvard University, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Indiana University in the implementation of electronic health records for the improvement of doctor-patient communication and the quality of care. 
Dr Hannan’s novel clinical research major project was providing solutions to managing disease epidemics and non-communicable diseases states in sub-Saharan Africa.
He has published widely on the improvement in health care delivery using modern technologies.

Dr Hannan’s contributions to the health informatics, health services and improving health of Tasmanians are widely acknowledged and regarded by the wider community.


Dr Ajay Prakash

Dr Ajay Prakash is a Clinical Haematologist who has received extensive training in the field of Haematology and medicine, both in Australia and overseas. 
Dr. Prakash trained with Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) in various hospitals in Australia and New Zealand, including centers in Queensland and Hamilton (New Zealand).
Prior to arriving in Australia and enrolling into the physician training program with RACP, Dr. Prakash had more than 6 years of training and work experience in Haematology overseas, including  many years  of  experience as a haematologist. He has contributed significantly to the success of Specialist Care Australia since he joined our family in 2017 as a Consultant Haematologist.

Dr. Prakash has a diverse interest in both malignant and non-malignant haematological disorders including lymphomas, thrombosis & haemostasis, haemochromatosis, leukaemias, immune thrombocytopenia, etc.

Dr Prakash has conducted several clinical research projects that were published in renowned medical journals.


Dr Shams Padinharakam

Dr Shams Padinharakam completed Medical Oncology training in Sydney with fulfilment of the fellowship in “enumerating circulating tumour cells in rectal cancer” at Ingham Institute, Sydney.

He started working as a Medical Oncologist in Launceston in Feb 2016. Prior to moving to Australia in 2006, he worked in the UK, and prior to that, he was in India, where he grew up and did his Medical Degree. Dr Shams has a post-graduate Diploma in Palliative Care from Edith Cowan University, Australia. He worked in Palliative Care in India for 5 years. He was instrumental in training doctors and community volunteers and setting up five community palliative care clinics, by raising funds from the community, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. This achievement is very close to his heart.

Dr Shams is an experienced Oncologist who treats wide variety of solid tumours in particular treating upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers, melanoma, head and neck cancers and genitourinary cancers. Dr Shams is very interested in managing geriatric patients taking their frailty and comorbidities into consideration. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the UTAS Clinical School.

'Shams', as he likes to be called enjoys nature, traveling, and knowing different cultures. Beside that Shams fluent in English, he is also fluent in Malayalam and Hindi languages. He visited Tasmania for a week in 2013 and instantly he and his family then based in Sydney fell in love with the place. Shams happily took the job opportunity in Launceston when it came up in 2016 and is enjoying the Tassie life!

Qualifications MBBS, FRACP (Medical Oncology), Post Grad Dip Pall Care.


Dr Albert Nwaba

Dr Albert Nwaba is a resident of the North West Coast of Tasmania having moved from Western Australia in 2014. He routinely treats patients with chronic liver disease and luminal gastroenterology and performs endoscopy procedures. He also conducts outpatient consultations at the Specialist Care Australia in Ulverstone.

Albert completed Advanced Specialist training in General Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology (including liver transplantation) in Perth, Western Australia. Albert also undertook postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom after graduating from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

His sub-specialist interest is in acute and chronic liver diseases, endoscopy, viral hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease and general gastroenterology.

Dr Nwaba retains a public appointment as a Visiting Medical Specialist and Clinical Lead at the Mersey Community Hospital, Latrobe, North West Regional Hospital, Burnie and he is also a Senior Lecturer at the Rural Clinical School at the University of Tasmania .