Joint Communique on Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Care
Participants in the AMA Summit on the Health Care of Asylum Seekers and Refugees, held in Canberra on 30 November, believe strongly that people seeking asylum within Australia have the right to receive appropriate medical care without discrimination, regardless of their citizenship, visa status, or ability to pay. Like all seeking health care, asylum seekers and refugees should be treated with compassion, respect, and dignity.
Currently, asylum seekers on certain bridging visas have no right to work, no income, and no access to Medicare. Yet some public hospitals are charging these people for their treatment.
This is unacceptable. Australia, as a fair and just society with a proud tradition of nurturing the oppressed, should provide quality health services for these people, who are among the most vulnerable in our community.
We commend the Victorian Health Minister, Bronwyn Pike, for her recent instruction to Victorian public hospitals to ensure that no asylum seeker should pay for medical treatment.
We call on all State and Territory health departments to follow the Victorian lead and ensure that no asylum seeker is charged for their treatment in a public hospital. Asylum seekers currently will not seek health care when they need it if they know there will be a cost they are unable to pay.
Over 90 per cent of asylum seeker cases needing support from health and welfare agencies are ineligible for Medicare, and have no right to work or use Centrelink. These people include women and children. The current visa system fails to answer important questions such as: Where are pregnant asylum seeker women going to give birth? Where can they and their new baby live on no income? How does a man with a severed finger get medical attention?
The Government's announcement of new MBS health checks for refugees from May 2006 is a welcome move and a good first step; however, general practitioners shouldn't alone have to shoulder the responsibility for health care.
Refugees with access to Medicare still find obtaining health care - preventative or curative - extremely difficult, partly because they do not understand the system.
We consider that assisting new arrivals during the settling-in period, and helping them to develop a continuing relationship with a medical practitioner, is a worthwhile investment by government. Appropriate health checks and follow-up ensure good health for these new members of the Australian community, and help prevent costly medical interventions in the future.
We, the undersigned, offer to work with government to resolve the problems that presently exist in asylum seeker and refugee health care.
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, President
Australian Medical Association
(02) 6270 5400
A/Prof Jill Sewell, President
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Contact: Prof Paul Komesaroff, (03) 9276 3795
Dr Julian Freidin, President
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
0419 770 259
Dr Aesen Thambiran
West Australian Refugee Health Network
0417 953 518
Dr Richard Davey FRCPA
(03) 9342 8736
Associate Professor Linda Briskman
Australian Council of Heads of Schools of Social Work
0417 500 274
Tamara Domicelj, Coordinator
Asylum Seekers Centre (Sydney)
(02) 9361 5606 / 0423 632 734
Dr Michael Gliksman
(02) 9231 4111
Jo Kirk, ASRC Health Centre
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (Melbourne)
(03) 9326 6033 / 0406 177 123