SA: SA welcomes move on rural doctors

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-1999
SA: SA welcomes move on rural doctors

ADELAIDE, April 27 AAP - The South Australian government today welcomed a move by the
Commonwealth to allow overseas doctors to take up positions in rural communities but at same
time described the need for such action as ludicrous.

The federal government yesterday announced it had reached an agreement with Western
Australia for overseas doctors to be allowed to practice in Australia, providing they agreed
to work in a rural or remote area for at least five years.

After working for five years those doctors would be eligible for unconditional registration
and permanent residency.

South Australian Human Services Minister Dean Brown said the issue was one he had raised
with federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge on numerous occasions and finally the minister
had acted.

"The next urgent step is for the federal government to increase the number of training
positions for doctors in universities," Mr Brown said.

"In addition, the restriction of 400 on training positions for general practitioners must
be lifted.

"It is ludicrous that we are having to bring in overseas trained doctors when there are
many young South Australians who are willing and able to be trained as doctors."

Under the agreement with the Commonwealth, the WA Medical Board would provide conditional
registration restricting the doctors to practice in specified areas.

For its part, the Commonwealth would issue a Medicare provider number but payments would
only be made for claims from a particular postcode area.

Mr Brown said SA currently needed about 40 to 50 doctors in rural areas while a shortage of
GPs was increasingly showing up in Adelaide.

AAP tjd/bm/de

KEYWORD: DOCTORS BROWN

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