Australian Immigration minister has blamed sub-standard state health services for reluctance of overseas-trained doctors to work in Australia.
MELBOURNE: Australian Immigration minister has blamed sub-standard state health services for reluctance of overseas-trained doctors to work in Australia, rather than his handling of the controversial case dealing with bungled detention of Indian Doctor Mohamad Haneef.
Two medical groups, the Overseas and Australian Medical Graduates Association and the United Indian Associations in a joint statement yesterday claimed the handling of the case had caused a 90 per cent reduction in overseas-trained doctors wanting to work in Australia and the backlash would exacerbate staff shortage.
Health Minister Tony Abbott's office referred calls on the issue to Kevin Andrews, whose spokeswoman insisted Haneef's visa was cancelled on character grounds, not because of his nationality or occupation.
"I'm not aware of any evidence doctors would be dissuaded from coming to work in Australia because of our immigration rules," the spokeswoman said, "The Australian" newspaper reported on Monday.
"Doctors will come to work in Australia if there are quality hospitals and good working conditions, and that's up to the individual state health system," she said.
However, she raised question over the functioning of the New South Wales (NSW) health system and said that "if you look at the reports of the NSW hospital system, it's perhaps not surprising someone might not be wishing to come and work here."
The state government of NSW has been battling to restore confidence in its health service following a series of incidents, including a miscarriage in the toilets of Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital.
Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson, whose state had to contend with a backlash over the malpractice scandal involving overseas-trained doctor Jayant Patel, has previously confirmed, there was a downturn in international interest in working in the state as a result of the Haneef affair.
Haneef and Mohammed Asif Ali, were working at the Gold Coast Hospital when they became embroiled in the investigation into two failed terror attacks in Britain in June.
Haneef was initially suspected of being linked to a terrorist group, while Asif Ali was found to have embellished his CV. Both have returned to India.
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