ALP Ad an unfair attack on hardworking doctors
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, today labelled an advertisement produced by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) as an unfair attack on hardworking doctors and a betrayal of elderly Labor voters who may no longer be able to afford cataract surgery to save or improve their sight.
The ALP today released a campaign video through its website and on sites such as You Tube that defends the Government’s heartless Budget decision to halve the Medicare patient rebate for cataract surgery by accusing dedicated ophthalmologists of overcharging their patients.
Dr Pesce said the ad is a blatant ideological slur on doctors.
“The AMA and the Society of Ophthalmologists have been running an education campaign on the realities of performing complex cataract surgery in an effort to convince the Government to reverse its Budget decision,” Dr Pesce said.
“We have surveyed the doctors who perform these operations and we have presented the clinical facts.
“We have spoken up for the people who have no voice in this debate – the patients who will no longer be able to afford a vital procedure that can restore or improve their sight and make a real difference to their quality of life.
“But instead of challenging our facts with evidence the ALP has resorted to the oldest trick in the book – blame the greedy doctors.
“The AMA calls on Health Minister Roxon to distance herself from this ad by condemning it as political propaganda.
“The ad is offensive and misleading and should be withdrawn immediately.
“Last week the Minister signed off on the Regulations that will push cataract surgery out of the reach of working Australians from 1 November.
“The Minister must do the right thing and reverse a Budget decision that will rob elderly Australians of their sight,” Dr Pesce said.
28 September 2009
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