Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, with Neil Mitchell, Radio 3AW

A number of parts of the medical community, there are reports, are concerned about what's going on. And equally concerned because it is reported that doctors are being prevented from talking about the conditions at Woomera in particular, detention centres. On the line is the President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Kerryn Phelps, good morning.

PHELPS: Good morning Neil.

MITCHELL: Are you aware of what's going on in there?

PHELPS: We aren't fully aware because we haven't been able to receive any detailed information or conduct any kind of audit or I guess discovery tour within the detention centres to see what is happening.

What we're relying on is the anecdotal reports from the doctors who are working in there who are, we understand, facing some problems with confidentiality agreements in their contracts, although we haven't seen those contracts.

MITCHELL: But if … would … if there … how many doctors are there in there?

PHELPS: Well I … it depends on how, you know, how many doctors there are if you like, working with asylum seekers around the country. I can't tell you how many are actually working in Woomera.

MITCHELL: Okay. There would be no reason would there though … you as a President of the AMA could speak to them? You could speak to them and find out what their worries were?

PHELPS: Well the medical profession has actually set up an alliance of groups which include the AMA and the presidents of the medical colleges, colleges of physicians and psychiatrists and other health professionals who have been discussing this issue. We have also been in touch with doctors who are working with asylum seekers. So, as I said, we have--

MITCHELL: And what have they said to you?

PHELPS: Well they've said that they're concerned about the treatment that is being offered to asylum seekers in the refugee … in the … detention centre at Woomera. But obviously I can't go into that detail--

MITCHELL: Okay, but they're concerned about the medical treatment that's being offered or they're concerned about the way they're being treated by the authorities?

PHELPS: They're concerned about the way they're being treated by the authorities. And you know, what we're worried about is the level of transparency about the health and living conditions inside the detention centres.

MITCHELL: Are they concerned about the children?

PHELPS: Everyone's concerned about the children. We don't think that … and certainly this … the feeling of the College of Paediatrics and the College of Physicians is that this sort of detention is totally inappropriate for children and adolescents. It could have very much long-term adverse outcomes for their entire lives. And even a short period of detention in inappropriate conditions is something that could be very damaging to children. Of particular concern is the reporting of sexual assault on children.

MITCHELL: But if that's happening, if there's sexual assault, I mean even if … if children are having their lips sewn together as has been alleged, surely that's a matter of child abuse and doesn't the doctor have an obligation to report that?

PHELPS: Well we have to clarify the legal position because we haven't seen the confidentiality clauses in these contracts, we don't know how legally valid they are and we really will be seeking some clarification of that from a legal point of view. But there … if that were the case, there would be a potential conflict between the doctor's duty of care and the contract that they were operating under.

MITCHELL: Why would they sign contracts which could put them in that position?

PHELPS: Well I suppose the doctors who work in these detention centres have a very strong social conscience and they are wanting to look after these people on a humanitarian level. And feeling that it's better that they are there doing the work and perhaps able to bring their concerns to public attention through other means.

MITCHELL: Are you able to tell us any of the allegations of mistreatment or in any way that the Government is falling down in the way that it is treating people within the facility? I mean, accepting that they've made a decision to keep them in the facility, which I know you're debating--

PHELPS: Yes.

MITCHELL: --but accepting that they're in there, can you tell us how they are falling down in their responsibility to care for them?

PHELPS: What we want to do is to … for the alliance to have the opportunity to officially audit the medical services at Woomera and the other detention centres and for asylum seekers generally, especially for children. And in fact what I'll be doing in the next few days will be contacting the Minister to seek permission to lead a delegation of medical professionals to Woomera to conduct an independent assessment.

So that rather than speaking off the top of my head or based on loose anecdotal evidence that we can actually go in there with a team of experts and be able to properly assess what is happening there. And whether it meets what we consider to be reasonable humanitarian and medical standards.

MITCHELL: Okay well that's a good idea. Thank you very much for speaking to us - Dr Kerryn Phelps, the President of the AMA. Well if she's able to get agreement to go in and have a look, maybe we can go along on the same trip given that the Minister has said I can go in there at some stage.

Ends