AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said today that the AMA welcomes new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s grassroots approach to policy development by getting his new MPs to visit schools and the homeless before heading for Canberra, and suggests they should also visit their local GP and public hospital to gain an understanding of the challenges facing the health system.
Dr Capolingua congratulated Mr Rudd and his team on their convincing election victory, saying the AMA looks forward to a productive and collaborative relationship with the new Government and the new Health Minister.“We are very keen to discuss health policies with the new Government,” Dr Capolingua said.
“The AMA will continue to engage in health policy debate, as we always have, and as we have done over the last year with Nicola Roxon.
“In fact, the AMA is very keen for Ms Roxon to be named Health Minister tomorrow in the first Rudd Ministry.
“Ms Roxon knows health and all the key players in the health system, and is perfectly placed to drive the agenda for the next Australian Health Care Agreement, which will be signed off next year.
“She would be greatly assisted in this role if all the new Government members came to Canberra armed with intelligence gained from their local GPs and public hospital staff in their local electorates.
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Source-AMA
LIN/M
