Desperately Seeking Doctors

For the residents and councils of many rural Australian communities, maintaining a reliable health care service is a constant challenge. Despite extensive domestic and international recruitment campaigns, doctors are leaving some rural communities faster than they can be replaced. Earlier this year the Federal Health Minister said the rural health system in Australia was 'a dire state of affairs', and promised a complete overhaul of workforce incentives and programs. But when the Government announced its budget allocation a few weeks later, it was met with a disappointed response from both the Australian Medical Association and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia. Desperately Seeking Doctors is a three part documentary series which reveals the personal stories behind the doctors' crisis in Australia. How do rural communities cope with Australia's doctor shortage? Who are the doctors working in these roles, and what are their views on rural health services? How prepared are medical students to take positions in the bush, and how do the residents of rural communities feel about the future of their health care? Over three episodes, Desperately Seeking Doctors follows the bush experience of Scottish GP Dr Mary Fortune, who answered an international call-out for Australian doctors, Indian born Dr Alan Majid, and two medical students Jen Martins and Nabilah Islam, who also happen to be close friends.

Track
0 trackers | Status: Ended | Airs on SBS |