All doctors on Immigration list checked
Published Friday, 09 November, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Minister for Health
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
The Federal Immigration Department is auditing its own visa approval and verification processes, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.
“Immigration has contacted the Medical Board of Queensland and Queensland Health for assistance to ensure Immigration’s records are accurate and complete and they are happy to help them,” Mr Robertson said.
“However Minister for Immigration Kevin Andrews has not provided any evidence that any Queensland Health doctor should not be registered or does not have appropriate qualifications.
“Instead of raising concerns about Queensland doctors to the media, Mr Andrews should raise his specific concerns to the Medical Board of Queensland.
“If Queensland was provided with any such evidence we would take immediate action.
“At the moment, Mr Andrews has done nothing but run a media campaign.
“Post-Bundaberg, the qualifications of all overseas trained doctors are thoroughly checked plus independently verified by the US-based Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
“Upon receiving the Immigration letter which only included a list of names and no other details, the Medical Board reviewed all documentation relating to all 37 doctors on the Immigration list.
“The Board is satisfied that the documents provided by the doctors currently employed by Queensland Health meet the requirements of registration.
“Let’s get back to why Australia is importing overseas-trained doctors.
“We do not train enough of our own and you can put that down to a decade of this Federal Government not doing a thing to address a chronic shortage of doctors.
“Now we have an Immigration Minister doing his utmost to damage Australia’s ability to recruit more doctors from abroad.”
9 November, 2007
MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185
“Immigration has contacted the Medical Board of Queensland and Queensland Health for assistance to ensure Immigration’s records are accurate and complete and they are happy to help them,” Mr Robertson said.
“However Minister for Immigration Kevin Andrews has not provided any evidence that any Queensland Health doctor should not be registered or does not have appropriate qualifications.
“Instead of raising concerns about Queensland doctors to the media, Mr Andrews should raise his specific concerns to the Medical Board of Queensland.
“If Queensland was provided with any such evidence we would take immediate action.
“At the moment, Mr Andrews has done nothing but run a media campaign.
“Post-Bundaberg, the qualifications of all overseas trained doctors are thoroughly checked plus independently verified by the US-based Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
“Upon receiving the Immigration letter which only included a list of names and no other details, the Medical Board reviewed all documentation relating to all 37 doctors on the Immigration list.
“The Board is satisfied that the documents provided by the doctors currently employed by Queensland Health meet the requirements of registration.
“Let’s get back to why Australia is importing overseas-trained doctors.
“We do not train enough of our own and you can put that down to a decade of this Federal Government not doing a thing to address a chronic shortage of doctors.
“Now we have an Immigration Minister doing his utmost to damage Australia’s ability to recruit more doctors from abroad.”
9 November, 2007
MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185