Hydra Healthcare

From The Medical Observer http://bit.ly/gXqGNc 

15th Mar 2011            Mark O’Brien

THE AMA has pledged to lift its game in supporting IMGs working in Australia, after president Dr Andrew Pesce admitted the association had failed to do enough for the group.

Dr Pesce told MO the AMA would continue to push for the 10-year rural moratorium for IMGs to be axed, provide better “back office” support for those struggling with the registration process and use its influence to achieve simplification of IMG registration processes.

The promise follows Dr Pesce’s recent appearance before the Federal Parliament’s ongoing inquiry into the registration of overseas-trained doctors, in which he described the treatment of IMGs forced to complete the 10-year moratorium as discrimination “par excellence”.

“I think we can lift our game,” he said. “[IMGs] are attracted here with the promise of something [that is not] delivered. I think that is a moral failure on the part of our system.”

Medical Board of Australia chair Dr Joanna Flynn, who also appeared before the inquiry, conceded the registration system administered by her organisation was very complex and caused “confusion, hardship, uncertainty and stress for a lot of people and their families”.

“The underlying schema… is quite clear, but then it becomes hard for an individual to know [exactly what they need to do],” she told the inquiry.

Australian Doctors Trained Overseas Association president Dr Viney Joshi, who gave evidence last week, told MO the committee members at the parliamentary inquiry appeared “horrified” at some of the testimonies from IMGs. He hoped the inquiry would result in better outcomes for this group of doctors.