The Australian Medical Association Northern Territory (AMANT) would like to remind
Australia that there are many doctors, nurses and other health-workers in the Northern
Territory who have devoted many years of dedicated and diligent work in remote communities,
towns and cities.

Working individually and in teams, they have battled extreme hardship and shortages of
colleagues to deliver best practice healthcare.

AMANT President, Dr Peter Beaumont said today that “We welcome Mr Howard’s very important action to assume ultimate responsibility for the health outcomes for Indigenous children in the NT. However we recognise that many doctors and health workers are feeling that their lifelong work has been undervalued”. “We are currently down about 70 full time equivalent primary healthcare doctors and those that have been struggling on the ground have done a fantastic job trying to improve the health of thousands of Indigenous Australians”Dr
Beaumont said.

It is well recognised that the shortage of doctors is many factorial, including difficulty in attracting Junior Doctors to the Territory, but the fact that rates of pay for Northern Territory doctors is usually well below what is offered in other states or territories is something that can and must be addressed immediately to attract more doctors and encourage the dedicated workforce to stay.

An influx of doctors now will improve service delivery and will achieve good, short term
outcomes, but unless more doctors are attracted to the Territory long term there will not be the continuation of supervision and care required to maintain the momentum in reducing the crime, social ills and ill health.

The AMA calls on the Northern Territory Government to recognise the achievements of the
existing workforce and take serious steps to address the reasons why more doctors don’t
choose to come and work here.