Far North community pays tribute to Dr Tom Mulholland, an ‘icon in our community’

Dr Tom Mulholland was well-known in the Far North and has been remembered as an amazing, iconic doctor that was loved by his patients.

Warning: This article may be distressing to some readers. If you need help, contact Lifeline on 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP).

Far North residents and medical staff have paid tribute to Dr Tom Mulholland, an “icon of the community” who loved Northland and worked tirelessly to help those who lived here.

The renowned physician and beloved Kiwi campaigner for physical and mental health died suddenly over the weekend. His death has been referred to the coroner and is being investigated as a suspected suicide.

As well as helping hundreds of thousands of people globally over the past three decades, Mulholland was well-known in small towns across the Far North, where he drove his old ambulance around offering free diabetes and health checks to save people from preventable chronic diseases.

Mulholland, an Auckland-based emergency doctor, also worked as a locum doctor at the Whānau Ora Community Clinic in Whangaroa for a time.

Whānau Ora Community Clinics clinical director Dr Vanshdeep Tangri said Mulholland was “an icon in our community”.

“He was an amazing doctor that was loved by the patients.

“He was loved by everyone for his friendliness, approachability and warmth.

“He had a real heart for people, and we will miss him sorely.”

Far North residents took to social media to pay tribute to Mulholland, who they described as “a beloved figure”.

Hato Hone St John Kerikeri operations manager Nick Scott thanked Mulholland for “being a mentor, a mate and one of the truly best buggers I’ve ever known”.

“I will always remember our last adventure on the boat fondly, even if you did try and catch a bigger snapper than mine on eye fillet steak ... rest easy, mate.”

Scott said he first met Mulholland at Auckland Hospital, where they worked together and became friends.

Whenever Mulholland travelled north in the ambulance he used as a pop-up clinic for his community outreach programmes, he called in on Scott and his family.

“He used to come up and stay with us. He used to do presentations at the station. He had a close affinity with St John and the work we did, particularly in the North.

“He always loved it up here and he loved fishing and diving. He loved Northland.”

Scott remembers one trip when his son expressed that he was keen to get into spear fishing, and Mulholland “took him under his wing and showed him how to spear fish out on the bay”.

“He was an all-round genuinely good guy who was always wanting to do something and make things better,” Scott said.

“His whole model was ‘healthcare at the top of the cliff, not the bottom’, and he was keen to get out there in the community and muck in with the locals.

“He was just a visionary.”

Mulholland hosted his own TV and radio shows, wrote two best-selling books and was a professional speaker for the likes of Google, Microsoft and Hilton.

He was also an honourary lecturer in psychological medicine at the University of Auckland.

SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION

Where to get help:

Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)

• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)

• Youth services: (06) 3555 906

• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234

• What’s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)

• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)

• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering health, food, lifestyle, business and animal welfare issues.