Qld: Opposition slams overseas doctor plan

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2006
Qld: Opposition slams overseas doctor plan

BRISBANE, Feb 1 AAP - The Queensland opposition has criticised a decision to allow
overseas trained doctors to work in the state for up to six weeks before their medical
degree is verified.

The Medical Board of Queensland announced the move to help ease the statewide medical
staff shortage.

However, opposition spokesman Bruce Flegg said proper credential checks must be made
to avoid another Dr Death scandal.

Dr Jayant Patel, dubbed "Dr Death", who was trained in India and had worked in the
United States, has been linked to the deaths of at least 80 former patients at Bundaberg
Hospital in south-east Queensland.

More than 200 claims for damages have been lodged in relation to treatment provided
by Dr Patel while he was head of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital.

"The Queensland Government promised Queenslanders they would never again put lives
at risk by allowing doctors in without proper checks," Dr Flegg told ABC Radio.

State cabinet is expected to be reshuffled this week in response to the continuing health crisis.

The Courier Mail newspaper said Premier Peter Beattie would announce new positions
today or tomorrow and take a more personal involvement with the health portfolio, working
closely with Health Minister Stephen Robertson.

Mr Robertson told the ABC that the Medical Board would ensure there were many safeguards
to the new overseas doctor plan.

He said junior doctors would be supervised while their degree was being verified and
they had to provide an assessment history of their practice and skills.

Mr Robertson said the move was made because it took too long to clear overseas doctors.

Queensland's embattled hospital emergency services plunged into a fresh crisis yesterday
after another two senior doctors quit.

The senior doctors resigned from Caboolture Hospital, north of Brisbane, where staff
shortages had forced the limitation of emergency department opening hours.

The centre has also been forced to redirect all ambulance and code one emergencies
to other hospitals in the region.

The resignations leave the floundering emergency ward with just two remaining senior
doctors, compared to the nine it operated under a year ago.

AAP lc/cjh/de

KEYWORD: DOCTORS DAYLEAD

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