Federal government, AMA `racist'

SYDNEY -- The proposal by federal health minister Dr Michael Wooldridge to drop immigration restrictions on foreign doctors willing to work in rural Australia -- while maintaining discrimination against Australian citizens and residents who are doctors qualified overseas -- is racist, according to Dr Asaad Razaghi, national president of the Australian Doctors Trained Overseas Association.

Razaghi, his wife Mary and other members of the ADTOA are highly qualified doctors unable to get medical postings in Australia because the authorities refuse to recognise their qualifications.

Razaghi recently led a 48-day hunger strike outside NSW Parliament House in protest at ADTOA members -- predominantly from Third World countries -- being forced to sit loaded Australian Medical Council tests designed to freeze them out of Australia's medical closed shop, administered by the Australian Medical Association.

“Dr Wooldridge and [AMA] president David Brand have cooked up a racist recipe which favours British, New Zealand and South African doctors”, Razaghi said.

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