November 1, 2019

The presidents of leading medical colleges across Australia are disappointed in the report from the government-led Senate Inquiry that recommends the repeal of the Medevac legislation and removal of the Independent Health Advice Panel (IHAP) process.

The medical community remains united in asking the Parliament to maintain the Medevac legislation process.

The Senate Inquiry heard clear evidence of the effectiveness of the Medevac legislation, and the medical need. Medevac has improved access to appropriate healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers being held offshore. It is providing greatly improved oversight and accountability.

As doctors, we continue to uphold the basic human right to healthcare.

We know that previous delays and failures to transfer ill asylum seekers resulted in preventable suffering.

We are pleased to see the dissenting reports, and thank those Senators for their ongoing support for Medevac and IHAP.

This statement is on behalf of the Presidents of:

• The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)
• The Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD)
• The Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP)
• The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
• The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)
• The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM)
• The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)
• The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA)
• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR)