Royal Commission on Human Rights Abuse on Overseas Trained Doctors in Australia

The Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Registration Processes and Support of Overseas Trained Doctors concluded in March 2012 with a Report -- “Lost in the Labyrinth”.

This Inquiry revealed many outrageous, independently reported incidents of;

i. Bullying and victimisation of Overseas Trained Doctors;
ii. Gross abuse of process by the medical colleges and their systemic dysfunction including that in the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA);
iii. Alleged human rights abuse by the medical colleges and some previous state medical boards.

The perpetrators are some of the Australian Medical Colleges. All the medical colleges identified in the Report bear the high and honourable appellation of “Royal” but are private registered companies limited by guarantee and seemingly unaccountable to anyone.

The scope of the Parliamentary Inquiry did not cover further inquiry or action to follow up on the documented egregious incidents. This is reflected in the Inquiry Recommendations.

This Inquiry is not the first. One held in 1997 following an internationally well-publicised hunger strike by doctors was commissioned in New South Wales to Mr S Kerkyrasharian, AO. His report was published privately but thereafter, subtly eclipsed. He had raised similar issues nearly 20 years earlier -- and his recommendations were never responded to publicly. None appear to have been followed.

A similar statutory Inquiry was called in 2008 in NSW when Mr P Garling (now a Supreme Court Judge) produced a 3.5 inch thick report with 135 recommendations – amongst which again shared similar issues unravelled in the recent 2012 Parliamentary Report. Again, the NSW Government appears to be downplaying and concealing the recommendations.

In Apr 2013, the Queensland Health Minister threatened to sack the QLD Medical Board - but most resigned. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/life/health/a-springborg-to-medical-administration-reform/

REFERENCE LINKS
http://www.tiny.cc/PrimaryLink

NOTES:
1. DURING THE COURSE OF PUBLICISING OF THIS PETITION, IT APPEARS THAT SOME AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS HAVE ALSO BEEN TARGETS USING THE SAME TECHNIQUES USED ON OTDs.

2. DETAILS OF SIGNATORIES FOR THIS PETITION WILL NOT BE DISPLAYED OR DISCLOSED - except to HM The Queen or HM's delegate - when it is finally presented.