14 NEWS
RECOMMEND RABIPUR ® for at-risk travellers to rabies-enzootic areas 4 , 5 * * Perform risk assessment that considers likelihood of interaction with animals and access to emergency medical attention
14 NEWS
14 MARCH 2025 ausdoc . com . au
IMG fast track brings in 42 GPs
Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda . |
Ciara Seccombe THE Medical Board of Australia has
so far approved 42 GPs , eight anaesthetists
and three psychiatrists under its new IMG fast track that cuts out medical college assessment .
Health ministers say the pathway is safe and necessary to address the workforce crisis , with the doctors — from comparable countries , such as the UK — practising under supervision for their first six months in Australia . The medical board said 171 GPs had applied as of 10 February , with 42
|
approved since the pathway opened in October 2024 .
It would not say if the other 129 were rejected or still being processed .
The RACGP — a constant critic of the pathway that wrested away its role in assessing IMGs — called on the board to release more detail .
“ We cannot tell the status of the applications that have not been approved ,” said Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda , RACGP IMG Committee chair .
“ Were they denied ? Are they
|
still under consideration ?”
The small number of approved anaesthetists and psychiatrists reflected those pathways only opening in December .
Radiologists , obstetricians and gynaecologists as well as general paediatricians are being added to the fast-track specialty list .
Professor Shenouda said the college remained concerned that the new doctors would struggle .
“ Our own data show that one in five overseas-trained doctors benefit
|
greatly from extra education and support ,” he said .
“ I am concerned about the wellbeing of these GPs operating with no professional support from the college as they navigate working in a new health system .”
RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said the college could have assessed IMGs fast enough to satisfy health ministers .
“ I remain unconvinced that this fast-track process is , in practice , actually fast-tracking anything at all .”
|
DON ’ T GAMBLE WITH
Dog bites account for up to 99 % of rabies cases 2
Almost a third of animal contact is unprovoked 1
A single bite or scratch can lead to clinical symptoms that are almost always
3
FATAL
RECOMMEND RABIPUR ® for at-risk travellers to rabies-enzootic areas 4 , 5 * * Perform risk assessment that considers likelihood of interaction with animals and access to emergency medical attention
PBS Information : This product is not listed on the National Immunisation Program ( NIP ) or the PBS .
BEFORE PRESCRIBING , PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE TO REVIEW PRODUCT INFORMATION OR GO TO WWW . CSLSEQIRUS . COM . AU / PRODUCTS
References : 1 . Heitkamp C et al . Je Travel Med . 2020 ; 27 . 2 . WHO . Rabies . Available at : https :// www . who . int / health-topics / rabies # tab = tab _ 1 Accessed November 2024 . 3 . WHO . Rabies Epidemiology . https :// www . who . int / news-room / fact-sheets / detail / rabies . Accessed November 2024 . 4 . Rabipur ®
Approved Product Information . 5 . Australian Immunisation
Handbook , Australian Government Department of Health , Canberra , 2018 , Available at : https :// immunisationhandbook . health . gov . au / recommendations / travellers-to-rabies-enzootic-regions-are-recommended-to-have-a-risk-assessment-toguide-vaccination-decision-making-and-all-travellers-should-avoid-exposure-to-rabies-virus-and-other-lyssaviruses-0 . Accessed October 2024 . CSL Seqirus ( Australia ) Pty Ltd Melbourne , Victoria . ABN : 66 120 398 067 . www . cslseqirus . com . au .
CSL Seqirus Medical Information : 1800 642 865 . RABIPUR ® is a registered trademark of Bavarian Nordic A / S , Kvistgaard , Denmark and Seqirus™ is a trademark of Seqirus UK Limited or its affiliates . Date of preparation : November 2024 . AU-RABI-24-0004 . 2669 .
Inactivated Rabies Virus Vaccine
‘ RACGP will not apologise ’
Staff writers DR William Bay is a GP registrar again , with the RACGP allowing him to rejoin the Australian General Practice Training Program after he beat his emergency suspension over his anti-COVID-19 vaccine views .
Dr Bay was expelled from the college and training program after being suspended for interrupting an AMA conference , telling attendees to stop “ forcing ” vaccines on people “ who are getting killed by them ”.
After the Supreme Court of Queensland overturned his suspension — as a result of AHPRA ’ s legal errors — he contacted the college demanding to be reinstated as a member and GP registrar .
‘ We do not support your vaccine views .’
Last month , the RACGP wrote to Dr Bay to say his membership would be reinstated , along with his GP registrar place .
However , the college said it was only agreeing to his request because of the court decision and stressed that the court had not considered the merits or otherwise of his views on COVID-19 vaccines .
“ The RACGP does not support your anti-vaccination views and will not apologise for acting under the RACGP constitution and within the law as it was at the time of your expulsion ,” CEO Georgina van der Water said in a letter shared on Dr Bay ’ s Facebook page .
“ I remind you that , once you are reinstated , you will be subject to the Membership Code of Conduct , which you should familiarise yourself with .”
Meanwhile , Dr Bay said he was facing four new complaints , sharing two pages of AHPRA letters he had been sent .