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Convinced that Vinton County needed its own doctor, local citizens formed a ten-member search committee. Working with the Ohio State Medical Association, the group placed ads in the "doctors wanted" columns of medical journals, and printed a brochure extolling the advantages of practicing in Vinton County. Fifty doctors replied to the ads, but only half were serious enough to schedule interviews. Most pursued the opportunity no further. Many were uninterested in practicing 25 miles distant from the nearest hospital. Others reported that their wives vetoed the idea of settling in a tiny town in the sawmill country of southeastern Ohio.
Flattering Stories. But one physician found the prospect appealing. Dr. Altaf Hussain, 39, a strapping (6 ft., 180 lbs.) Pakistani, had been looking for a chance to give up his job at a United Mine Workers clinic in the Pennsylvania coal country and establish a private practice. "The people needed somebody," says Hussain, "and there's no competition, which is important to a foreigner."
Neither Hussain's nationality nor his color should present any problems. McArthur has already hired a Pakistani schoolteacher, and townspeople are taking steps to make their new doctor welcome. The Courier has published a series of flattering articles about Hussain, and the weekly paper's editor, Mrs. Gerry Frye, has introduced him to a group of local women. Businessmen are also helping. A contractor who bought Bullock's clinic is letting Hussain use it rent-free for the next six months, and promises to charge only a minimal amount after that. Hussain and his family are also getting a house at modest cost.
Still, Hussain says: "I'll have to win the people's hearts and build up my practice." The transition will be eased by the presence of the former Mrs. Bullock, a registered nurse who will work for Hussain. She is now ready to make appointments for people wishing to consult the new doctor.