The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) welcomes news the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) is speeding up the assessment of applications by International Medical Graduates (IMGs) seeking to work in Australia.
Ahpra reports that the number of IMGs arriving in Australia has returned to pre-covid levels.
“This is a positive step” ACRRM president Dr Dan Halliday says. “With the GP workforce declining, the College recognises that IMGs have played, and will continue to play, an important role in boosting our medical workforce.
“Ahpra’s willingness to react by cutting the time to process applications and provide new user-friendly tools and resources to support IMGs to submit their application, will assist in improving access to healthcare throughout Australia.
“While this is recognised, we must also ensure these doctors have the skills and supports to work in rural and remote communities.
“ACRRM is ideally placed to provide the education, collegiality and support IMGs need to practise confidently in rural and remote areas and meet the healthcare needs of those communities.
“Our College specifically trains and supports Specialist Rural General Practice through provision of a training pathway that develops skills to Rural Generalist level, allowing doctors to provide high quality, extended care to the rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in which they live and work.
“In addition to providing primary health and preventative care within their community, Rural Generalists provide after hours, emergency and procedural services to their local health facilities; outreach services; and other services such as Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) capability to residential aged care.
“ACRRM remains committed to our vision of having the right doctors, in the right places, with the right skills, providing rural and remote people with excellent healthcare.
“This includes providing IMGs with the training and support they need to be the best doctors they can be.”
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