The Dr Death controversy is now plaguing overseas trained doctors in Australia, who are being subjected to racial abuse. While the Indian doctor Jayant Patel aka Dr Death has been accused of sheer unprofessionalism and careless practice which led to the death of 87 patients in Australia, it’s the Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) there who are finding it difficult to take the Australians into confidence.
Following reports of racial abuse and increasing number of Australian patients turning away from overseas trained doctors, Australian Medical Association has urged Premiers and Chief Ministers of all the states to support overseas trained doctors (OTD) and public hospitals.
“We are getting reports that OTDs in public hospitals and those in private practice are being subjected to racial abuse with patients refusing to be treated by them. They prefer seeing other doctors than someone whom they suspect has obtained training overseas,’’ Mukesh Haikerwal, president of Australian Medical Association, told Express Newsline over phone from Australia.
Dr Jayant Patel was head of surgery at Bundaberg Hospital in Queensland but fled the country after reports of his misdoings. Dr Steve Hambelton, who heads Austrian Medical Association in Queensland said: ‘‘There are many foreign trained doctors here, but the Dr Death controversy is having a negative impact on their careers.’’
According to Madonna King, a senior columnist with The Courier Mail, many foreign trained doctors, including Indians, are being criticised in the wake of the controversy. ‘‘There have been lot of doctors speaking out about this issue and they are also threatening to leave the country,’’ said Madonna King in her e-mail.
Indian-born Haikerwal took his medical training in England and has been practising in Australia for the past 15 years. Though he himself has not faced any difficulty, he said other doctors, especially newcomers are facing difficult times after the controversy. ‘‘The association has learnt that newly recruited overseas trained doctors who are practising in public hospitals are facing problems. We are very much concerned and want the Government to protect them,’’ said Haikerwal.
Deeply concerned about growing bias against foreign doctors, Haikerwal has written to all State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers urging them to act immediately to support their victims of racial abuse public hospitals and their workforce, including overseas trained doctors (OTDs), to avoid any kind of discrimination against OTDs working in Australia.
‘‘We are deeply concerned because OTDs account for around 20 per cent of Australia’s doctors, and 30 per cent in the country areas,’’ said Haikerwal adding, ‘‘The association had written a letter in this regard to the Government on June 17 and we are waiting for a reply.’’
Haikerwal said in his letter that the controversy surrounding Dr Jayant Patel had shattered the community’s confidence in thousands of highly skilled OTDs in all States and Territories. ‘‘It is important that the doctors here are protected and encouraged to stay where they are needed most,’’ he said in the letter.
Haikerwal believes that Bundaberg episode is posing as a hindrance in their attempts to address the problems of OTDs. According to him the other fallout of the issue is that this kind of discrimination will result in further workforce shortages as qualified doctors will opt for other countries.