When Arun Thomas found out he had been appointed to Victoria’s Multicultural Health Advisory Committee, his first reaction was simple but powerful: pride.
“There was a profound sense of pride and a gratitude so deep it is hard to articulate,” he says. “I felt it for this country, for this state, and for every mentor, colleague and patient who has shaped my journey.”
The new committee was announced by Victorian Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas earlier this month, saying it would play a central role in improving how the health system engages with multicultural communities across the state.
For Thomas, who arrived in Australia in 2008 as an ambitious international student, the appointment marks a full-circle moment. As one of the only Indian Australian voices on the committee, he feels immense pride, particularly given the contribution Indian Australians make to the state’s health workforce as nurses, doctors and specialists. To have a say in how that system operates, he says, is deeply meaningful.
“An appointment is only as meaningful as what you do with it,” he adds. “I am ready to ensure that the voices from our regional towns and outer suburbs are finally at the centre of the conversation.”
Alongside pride, however, comes responsibility. Thomas is clear that he cannot claim to represent everyone. “I am conscious that I cannot speak for all 600,000 Indian-born Australians in Victoria, as our community is a beautiful, complex tapestry,” he says. The weight of that awareness is significant. “Decisions made at this level ripple outward and affect lives for generations. When we get cultural competency right, the community thrives. I don’t take that weight lightly.”
His own professional journey shapes how he sees the system’s gaps. “I quickly realised that being clinically competent and being culturally navigable are two completely different skills,” he says of his early nursing years. Working in regional Victoria sharpened that understanding. Equity, he believes, must travel “all the way from the boardroom to the bedside.”
One experience, in particular, stays with him. During outbreak response work in aged care, he witnessed residents in their final weeks struggling without clinicians who spoke their language. “The distress residents felt when their final weeks were spent without a clinician who could speak their language was heartbreaking,” he says. “Dying is one of the most culturally specific human experiences we have.” When those needs are unmet, he adds, families are left with grief compounded by the feeling that their loved one was not truly seen.
Thomas is also concerned about migrant mental health. While new arrivals may initially appear healthier, the pressures of resettlement and the loss of social identity can quietly erode that advantage. “We have to move past the idea that translation is the same as health literacy,” he says. “A translated brochure is useless if the message doesn’t respect the cultural or spiritual framework of the reader.”
So what does a “strengthened” committee mean in practice?
“It means we are moving from ‘consultation theatre’ to genuine strategic influence,” Thomas says. The expanded committee brings together key organisations, including the Ethnic Communities Council and the Victorian Refugee Health Network, ensuring multicultural voices are involved in shaping policy from the outset rather than merely reviewing it. One of its first major tasks will be supporting a statewide health survey in 2026.
“This is a massive undertaking that will allow Victorians to share their stories directly, identifying the real gaps in care,” he says. A stronger committee, he believes, means having both the mandate and the resources to turn those stories into measurable action.
Within hospitals, he wants cultural competency to be treated as a core clinical capability, not an optional extra. He is also firm about ending the practice of using family members or children as interpreters, describing it as “a burden on the family and a risk to clinical safety.”
To young professionals from migrant backgrounds, his message is direct: “Your heritage is not a barrier; it is your superpower.” He acknowledges that leadership spaces can feel intimidating. “I know those boardrooms can feel like they weren’t built for us – and in many cases, they weren’t. But the cost of our absence is paid by our communities.”
For Arun Thomas, the appointment is a reminder that representation builds trust. And in healthcare, trust is everything.
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
Follow The Indian Sun on X | Instagram | Facebook
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
