Iemma Takes Hammer to Rural Medicine
Chair of the AMA Rural Reference Group (AMARRG), Dr David Rivett, said today he is gobsmacked that NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, has failed to match Commonwealth funding to help build a new medical school at the University of New England (UNE).
The offer of matched funding for UNE - $3 million from the Commonwealth and $3 million from NSW - was made at the July 2006 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.
Dr Rivett, a rural GP from the NSW South Coast, said Mr Iemma's decision sends a very clear signal that his newly re-elected Government is not serious about fixing rural health in NSW.
"With this decision, Mr Iemma has taken a hammer to rural medicine in this State," Dr Rivett said.
"Country people do not have the same level of access to quality medical care as their city cousins.
"Workforce shortages are biting hard in rural and regional areas, and we have to rely heavily on overseas trained doctors (OTDs) to plug the many gaps.
"OTDs now make up around half the medical workforce in some country areas. They do a great job but we won't be able to rely on them forever.
"We should be doing all we can to train more local doctors to work in country practice, and the UNE medical school is key to that objective.
"International evidence shows that recruiting students from rural areas and offering them a good training experience in rural areas is the best way to build a rural workforce.
"Country kids are two to three times more likely than city students to stay and practise in rural areas.
"We urge Mr Iemma to reconsider his position and fund the UNE medical school as originally proposed.
"Otherwise he will be robbing country areas of a new generation of committed family doctors to serve the people of rural NSW," Dr Rivett said.