More support needed for international medical graduates (IMGs)
The AMA welcomes the release of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing’s ‘Lost in the Labyrinth’ report into registration processes and support for international medical graduates (IMGs), also known as overseas trained doctors.
AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the AMA values the immense contribution that IMGs make to the Australian health system.
“We are pleased that the Committee consulted extensively, including with the AMA, in its examination of how IMGs enter the system, how they are treated in it, and what can be done to improve their conditions and maximise their contribution to Australian communities,” Dr Hambleton said.
“The AMA supports many of the Committee’s recommendations and we stand ready to help the Government implement them, particularly those that provide improved support, greater transparency, and streamlining of processes that do not undermine standards.
“The Committee has correctly identified that Australia is too reliant on the 10 year moratorium to force overseas doctors to work in rural and remote areas and raised questions about the need for this policy into the future.
“The AMA has called for the abolition of the 10 year moratorium, because it has failed to establish a stable long-term medical workforce in areas of need, especially in rural, regional and remote communities.
“We need better, more clever solutions based on local knowledge and the Committee’s report will help us achieve that goal,” Dr Hambleton said.
22 March 2012
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