Overseas doctors 'shunning Australia'
November 4, 2007 - 11:19AM
The number of overseas doctors seeking to work in Australia has fallen 90 per cent because of the federal government's handling of the case against former suspected terrorism supporter Mohamed Haneef, a medical association warns.
The Overseas and Australian Medical Graduates Association (OAMGA), in a joint statement with the United Indian Associations (UIA) group, said the massive drop in the number of doctors seeking temporary visas to work in Australia was exacerbating the existing health crisis.
"This spells disaster for an already over stretched and under-resourced medical work force - particularly for rural and regional areas where many of these doctors are posted," OAMGA president Dr Nagamma Prakash said.
"In the various interviews given by the presidents of UIA and OAMGA to both national and international media, they predicted that overseas doctors planning to arrive in Australia would reconsider their decision ... they have been proven correct."
Dr Prakash also said there was "growing anger amongst Australians of Indian background" over the Howard government's handling of the Haneef's case, adding it had "brought discredit to the Indian Community here in Australia".
Revelation of emails, between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and an adviser to Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, talking of a "contingency" plan to use immigration law to keep Dr Haneef in custody, had only heightened concerns, he said.
"There is a growing body of evidence that Dr Haneef was used as a political pawn," Dr Prakash said.
"UIA and OAMGA strongly urge the federal government, and the immigration minister, to restore credibility to recruitment process of overseas trained doctors, in order to avoid the looming crisis in the health delivery system," he said.
The sole charge against Indian born Gold Coast Hospital registrar Dr Haneef - of supporting a terrorist organisation - was dropped by the commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for lack of evidence following a series of investigative bungles.
Dr Haneef was granted bail on July 16 and Mr Andrews immediately stepped in to revoke his visa under the Migration Act, although the minister denied his move was related to the court proceedings.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Overseas-doctors-shunning-Australia/2007/11/04/1194117860480.htmlJust goes to prove that these Dr's are not honest ones and have something to hide. No innocent person has anything to fear.
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