A TRIABUNNA medical practice owner could be kicked out of his building if he does not start paying rent to the town's council.
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The Glamorgan Spring Bay Council has given Pranesh Naidoo until the end of the month to formalise his practice arrangement with the council in return for the use of the ratepayer-owned medical centre and facilities.
Dr Naidoo has been using the Triabunna Medical Centre since August last year alongside Dr Winston Johnson.
Dr Naidoo originally bought a medical practice at Triabunna, in what is now the Community Health Centre, in the 1990s.
Under state government arrangements at that time, the practice received rent-free premises, the use of community nurses for practice purposes and materials at no cost.
A need for more doctors in the town saw the council recruit Dr Johnson in 2010.
The council agreed to provide practice administration services to Dr Johnson for a fee equivalent to 25 per cent of patient income.
An arrangement was made between the council and Dr Naidoo to share his practice staff and administration with Dr Johnson, for which the council paid 50 per cent of costs.
When both doctors moved to the council-owned and developed centre last year, Dr Johnson signed a Medical Practice Agreement contract with the council to continue paying 25 per cent of patient income for the use of the building and the equipment, but Dr Naidoo never signed it.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Bertrand Cadart said the council had tried to form an arrangement with Dr Naidoo since but had no success.
"We don't want to get rid of [Dr Naidoo], he is a good doctor," Cr Cadart said.
"But when you rent a house and it's settled you have to pay something to stay there, this is no different."
In the last financial year, the council incurred a $244,000 operating loss on medical services, in addition to expending the medical levy.
A review of East Coast health by Campbell & Jones was put to the council in August.
It stated that Dr Naidoo still thinks the practice is his as he bought it when he arrived.
It also states that he won't sign the agreement if the council's general manager David Metcalf is in control of the company.
Dr Naidoo could not be contacted yesterday .
