AMA (NSW) President: The most important thing is to get a new Maitland Hospital of appropriate size
October 21, 2016
President’s Word November / December 2016
November 10, 2016The AMA (NSW) President and Vice President say the Government’s ongoing and repeated attempts to deny asylum seekers adequate healthcare cannot continue.
“If the new ban the Federal Government is levelling against asylum seekers extends to their being able to obtain healthcare in Australia, that sets a terrible precedent.
“We already know that asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru face significant barriers to accessing healthcare that people in Australia take for granted.
“This has posed major problems for asylum seekers in the past and nothing the Government has done has rectified this.
“In fact, it has been doing the opposite and pursuing increasingly harsh policies.
“If this new one places further limitations on asylum seekers’ access to healthcare services, this is just plumbing new depths of cruelty,” Prof Brad Frankum said.
“Regardless of whatever else the Government is trying to achieve through this, it must guarantee that asylum seekers in Australia’s care have adequate access to health services.
“Taken at face value, the Government’s rhetoric is about sending a message to people smugglers that they will fail to bring asylum seekers to Australia.
“In pursuing this policy to the point it has, the Government is sending other messages as well – ones that seem to say it is ok with inflicting unflinching cruelty on people in its care.
“Ensuring asylum seekers have adequate access to healthcare is non-negotiable,” Dr Kean-Seng Lim said.
AMA (NSW) Vice President, Dr Kean-Seng Lim, will be attending the doctors’ march next weekend in Sydney in support of asylum seekers’ right to healthcare.
Media contact: Lachlan Jones 0419 402 955