In poor health- Doctors Rekha and Sunil Kumar, who were due to open the doors of Tooradin’s fi

By Bridget Brady
TOORADIN’S first doctor’s clinic is in serious jeopardy and works have been put on hold after attempts to have the town classified as an area of medical shortage were rejected.
Doctor Sunil Kumar said the clinic he had hoped to open in July was now in doubt after the Federal Government recently rejected his application to have Tooradin classified as a District of Workforce Shortage (DWS).
The news was “absolutely astonishing” to Tooradin Commerce Committee president Colin Butler.
“This has been a process of seven or eight years to get a doctor here. It’s ridiculous,” Mr Butler said.
“The community is terribly excited about all of this, but of course this throws a big spanner in it.”
Mr Butler said the chamber, with the help of members of parliament, would fight as hard as they could to get an exemption for Mr Sunil from the DWS requirement.
Under DWS rules, overseas trained doctors are unable to obtain Medicare provider number and therefore provide services that attract Medicare rebates unless they work in a DWS area.
Mr Kumar said it would not be financially viable for him to set up the super clinic he had planned without this classification.
“It’s not in my interest as far as I’m concerned, I can somehow survive, but it is the interest of the community,” Mr Kumar said.
Mr Kumar said he did not sleep the night he received the letter of his failed application.
Flinders MP Greg Hunt has called on Health Minister Nicola Roxon to provide an exemption for Mr Kumar, and said it would be an attack on a rural community if it was not to eventuate.
“It’s absolutely clear that there are no doctors in Tooradin.
“There could not be a stronger definition of District Workforce Shortage.
“It’s simply common sense,” Mr Hunt said.
“We will fight and fight to make this happen.”
Mr Butler said a similar fight took place to get an exemption for Tooradin’s pharmacy. “It looks like we’re going to have to fight like hell to get an exemption for this guy too.”
A spokesperson for Ms Roxon said the Department of Health and Ageing determined DWS eligibility at arm’s length from the Minister.
“Tooradin does not currently have a DWS status.
“However, Mr Kumar has recently submitted to the Department of Health and Ageing an application for a preliminary assessment of district of workforce shortage (PADWS) for the Tooradin Medical Dental Centre citing special needs for the area and this application is currently under consideration,” the spokesperson said.