SATURDAY
25 SEPTEMBER 1999

MEDICAL REGISTRATION FIGURES STILL SHOW WHITE, ENGLISH SPEAKING BIAS

The latest Medical Council figures for temporary and probationary registration for overseas doctors show a strong bias in favour of white doctors from English speaking countries, United New Zealand leader, Hon Peter Dunne, told the Overseas Doctors Association meeting in Auckland today.

Mr Dunne said that the figures show that the Medical Council granted temporary and probationary registration in 1998/99 to 611 overseas medical practitioners.

“Of those registrations, 67% came from white, English speaking countries – Australia; Canada; Ireland; United Kingdom; South Africa and the USA.”

“At the same time, about 500 overseas trained doctors, predominantly from the Indian subcontinent; Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe remain unregistered, working instead as taxi drivers and in takeaway bars.”

“It is the most appalling waste of talents when there are areas of New Zealand crying out for doctors to meet shortages.”

“I find it hard to escape the conclusion that the existing registration procedures are being used more to regulate supply and demand, than to ensure qualified doctors can practice in New Zealand,” he said.

Mr Dunne called for radical changes to the existing registration procedures, including transferring the responsibility for assessing professional qualifications to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

“The Medical Council would then be obliged to register doctors whose professional qualifications had been recognised and approved by NZQA,” he said.

ENDS

New Zealand’s Liberal Party

MEDIA STATEMENT
HON PETER DUNNE, MP
LEADER UNITED NEW ZEALAND
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 1.
e-mail: peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz. Internet Address: http://www.united.org.nz

New Zealand’s Liberal Party

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