Queensland Gives Federal Government A Lesson In How To Support Rural Doctors

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Queensland Gives Federal Government A Lesson In How To Support Rural Doctors

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice

Article Date: 17 Jun 2010

The Rural Doctors Associations of Queensland and Australia (RDAQ and RDAA) are congratulating the Queensland Government on the support that they are providing to rural doctors and suggesting that the Federal Government could learn a few lessons from them.

Queensland's Deputy Premier and Health Minister, Paul Lucas, speaking at the 21st Annual Conference of the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland in Mackay, said he was surprised to hear that many international medical graduate doctors working in rural and remote Queensland were unable to access basic public medical and education services. The Deputy Premier told the conference that the Queensland Government will look at what it can do to provide these doctors and their families with access to medical care and education services and also committed to taking the issue up with the Federal Government in relation to access to Medicare.

RDAA President, Dr Nola Maxfield, said: "These doctors are recruited to rural areas across Australia and in many cases they are the only reason that their health services continue to exist. It is astounding that state and federal governments deny these doctors and their families access to those same services that they have been recruited to deliver. RDAA has previously taken this issue up directly with the Prime Minister and was very disappointed that it was not addressed in the recent federal budget.

"The statement today by Deputy Premier Paul Lucas that the Queensland Government will work to provide these doctors and their families access to health care and public education is very welcome and recognises the significant contribution that these doctors are making in Queensland."

RDAQ's incoming President, Dr Dan Halliday, also welcomed the announcement of support for international medical graduates and said that "it will be a great relief to these doctors and their families to know that they will soon be able to access public health services provided by the Queensland Government and their children will be able to attend the local public school like all the other kids in the town."

The Deputy Premier also took on board the concerns rural doctors raised in relation to the supports provided to doctors under the new Federal Government incentive programs. For example, the Federal Government considers Townsville with its specialist supported major hospital to be the same as Gundagai in NSW or Cherbourg in Queensland with their small GP-run hospitals. Mr Lucas committed to taking this issue up with the Commonwealth Government.

Clearly the Federal Government can learn a few lessons from the Queensland Government and listen to what rural doctors are saying needs to be done to improve health services in rural and remote Australia. They must support those international graduates that are providing essential medical services in rural and remote Australia and also implement the Rural Rescue Package developed by RDAA and the AMA and supported by the Australian Medical Students Association.

Source
Rural Doctors Associations of Queensland and Australia

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