AMA Urges Premiers and Chief Ministers To Support Public Hospitals and Overseas Trained Doctors
AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, has written to all State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers urging them to act urgently to support their public hospitals and their public hospital workforces - including overseas trained doctors (OTDs), also known as i
/ nternational medical graduates (IMGs) - to avoid tragedies like the events at Bundaberg Hospital and to protect OTDs working in Australia.
Dr Haikerwal said in his letter that the controversy around Dr Jayant Patel had undermined the community's confidence in the thousands of highly skilled OTDs caring for patients in all States and Territories. OTDs account for around 20 per cent of Australia's doctors, and 30 per cent in country areas.
"OTDs are an essential part of Australia's medical workforce, especially now as we are in the grip of a national and international medical workforce shortage," Dr Haikerwal said today.
"The Bundaberg story is having a significant negative effect on attempts to address the workforce crisis.
"It must be a priority for all Governments to invest in doctors by providing opportunities for teaching, training and mentoring, particularly for the large number of OTDs who are working in areas of health need, mainly in country towns.
"And there needs to be significant investment to support high standards, modern facilities and equipment, quality medicine and patient care in our public hospitals.
"But it is vital that the doctors we have in the system are protected and encouraged to stay where they are needed most.
"We are hearing reports of OTDs in public hospitals and in private practice being the victims of racial abuse, or patients refusing treatment or demanding to see other doctors rather than see someone they suspect to have trained overseas.
"The other fallout from Bundaberg is that this suspicion and abuse surrounding all OTDs will result in further workforce shortages as dedicated doctors choose to leave Australia for more welcoming countries.
"The bigger predicament is that the culture of hospitals today fails to attract and retain our public hospital workforce across the country. Older doctors have had enough of intolerable working conditions and younger doctors and medical students are re-thinking their medical career paths.
"There is significant disillusionment across the entire public hospital workforce.
"Younger doctors would love to work in the public system but poor working conditions and bureaucratic interference are impediments to their ability to practise quality medicine and provide personal patient care where it is most needed.
"That is why the AMA has written to the Premiers and Chief Ministers.
"We are seeking information on the steps they are taking to attract and retain doctors and what they are doing to ensure qualifications, skills and experience meet the standards set by Australian Medical Colleges.
"The standards are all-important - they ensure doctors working in the health system are 'fit for task' and have established peer-recognised safe practice.
"The AMA looks forward to positive responses from the Premiers and Chief Ministers.
"They will help drive a national solution to the problems highlighted by the Bundaberg Hospital tragedy.
"We must head off a potential national catastrophe - the collapse of our public hospitals," Dr Haikerwal said.