Dr LIM - 2004-08-24
Why have you not put any procedures in place to retain the Filipino nurses who are currently working in Alice Springs? Royal Darwin Hospital has made every effort to retain the Filipino nurses in Darwin, whereas the Filipino nurses in Alice Springs have not been particularly valued. At least one nurse, who had already attained full registration in England, had to travel to Darwin to do an English test before he could qualify to stay in Alice Springs. They are now being courted by New South Wales, with promises of sponsorship of Australian permanent residency. What are you going to do to ensure we do not lose our Filipino nurses, especially those who have been working here for at least the last 12 months and are eager to extend their contracts to work in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have met quite a number of those nurses, and I have heard some very positive comments from many of them about working in our health system. In fact, they said the shift hours here are much better than in the Irish system, where many of them trained and worked before they came here.
If there is a problem with one or two of the nurses going through the process to be established in our system, I will talk to my CEO about it. However, I am not convinced there is a broad problem here. If there is a problem with an individual nurse, that is an operational matter that my CEO will take care of.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex had a very good solution, if I remember, at the Mabuhay night. He urged everyone to marry them.
Dr Lim: That is right, but Darwin has to do something about it too.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have met quite a number of those nurses, and I have heard some very positive comments from many of them about working in our health system. In fact, they said the shift hours here are much better than in the Irish system, where many of them trained and worked before they came here.
If there is a problem with one or two of the nurses going through the process to be established in our system, I will talk to my CEO about it. However, I am not convinced there is a broad problem here. If there is a problem with an individual nurse, that is an operational matter that my CEO will take care of.
Madam SPEAKER: The member for Greatorex had a very good solution, if I remember, at the Mabuhay night. He urged everyone to marry them.
Dr Lim: That is right, but Darwin has to do something about it too.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016