AMA Taskforce on Indigenous Health Communique March 2023

The meeting began with a Welcome to Country from Ngunnawal Traditional Owner Mr Wally Bell on the land outside the AMA offices. Staff and Taskforce members gathered to share in this Welcome before declaring the meeting officially open.

The Taskforce co-chairs Prof Steve Robson (AMA) and Dr Simone Raye (Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association – AIDA) were delighted to welcome special guest Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy to speak with the Taskforce about her priorities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Senator McCarthy invited all members to introduce themselves, before speaking about the journey the Australian government has undertaken to reach the question for the Referendum on a Voice to Parliament.

Senator McCarthy also spoke of her commitment to delivering on training places for 500 new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, improvements to health service delivery for dialysis patients and those with other renal conditions and improving infrastructure in Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations.

Key themes emerging from the meeting included partnership, collaboration, eliminating racism in the health sector, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students, cultural safety training and the importance of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations as a model of self-determination and holistic, culturally safe health service delivery.

The Taskforce received presentations from Professor Stuart Kinner and Dr Stephen Hampton on health service delivery models in custodial settings. This followed the recent release of the AMA 2023 position statement Health Care in Custodial Settings. Taskforce members were invited to further consider the AMA position and discuss options for implementation and further advocacy around AMA calls for equity of healthcare including MBS and PBS access.

Finally, AMA and AIDA reiterated their commitment to partnership and working on shared goals towards supporting the growth of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical workforce, expanding the reach of culturally safe medical practice, and eliminating racism in the health sector.

The Taskforce membership is comprised of medical students, doctors in training and doctors from AIDA, AMA and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).