dr aneesh kumar

Mr Aneesh Kumar is a Consultant Otolaryngologist and Head, Neck and Thyroid Surgeon who performs procedures at St John of God Geelong Hospital.

He provides comprehensive ear, nose and throat care for both paediatric and adult patients, with a strong focus on delivering personalised, high-quality treatment.

He has undertaken extensive international training across three major ear, nose and throat surgery programmes. He completed his residency at Pune University in India, graduating with first rank in his Master of Surgery. He then undertook advanced registrar training in Liverpool, United Kingdom, followed by an Advanced Fellowship in Head and Neck Onco-surgery, Microvascular and Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

Mr Kumar has gained broad and valuable experience working across India, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. This diverse background has given him a deep understanding of both the clinical and personal challenges patients face, as well as the complexities of delivering healthcare across different systems.

Early in his career in India, he managed high volumes of complex cases, including advanced head and neck cancers and severe ENT infections, often in resource-limited settings. This experience shaped his clinical judgement and strengthened his commitment to delivering compassionate care to patients from all backgrounds.

In the United Kingdom, his training focused on evidence-based medicine, professionalism, ethics and patient-centred care, alongside the development of leadership and management skills. His fellowship in Canada further enhanced his expertise in complex cancer surgery and reconstruction, including microvascular techniques and facial plastic surgery, sparking a special interest in facial reanimation procedures.

Mr Kumar later worked as an ENT Consultant at Lincoln County Hospital in the UK before relocating to New Zealand, where he spent 11 years. During this time, he established and developed the Head and Neck Cancer Surgery service at Palmerston North Hospital. He also founded the Thyroid Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) in 2014 and served as its Chairman, alongside holding leadership roles such as Clinical Director of the ENT Department.

He has a special interest in head and neck skin cancer surgery, thyroid surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive procedures, including advanced facial reanimation techniques.

Mr Kumar holds the following qualifications:

• MBBS
• MS
• DNB
• FRCS (Glasgow)
• FRCS (Ireland)
• FRCS (ORL-HNS)
• FRACS
• Masters in Health Service Management