Transcript
NICK TALLEY: Basically we've asked the Australian government for their permission, as we require this, to go to Manus to do health assessments. Our goal is to ensure the asylum seekers and the refugees are being adequately managed and we felt that based on the information being reported both in the press and to us privately, that this was an important issue and we needed to address it sooner rather than later and these health assessments need to be happening now and we have had no response from the government.
BEN ROBINSON DRAWBRIDGE: Well why now did you write the letter and they have been there for four years?
NT: Well, when I was president of the College of Physicians and indeed over the last five years, I and many others , have been asking for the government to do all sorts of things in terms of dealing with the health of asylum seekers and refugees. This is not a new issue and it is not a new position, however the recent issue in particular for the men on Manus who have just been moved to other accommodation, was yet another alarm bell in a series of alarm bells about the health of these people. We have an obligation as a country and nation to ensure appropriate and best health. Now there have been improvements we have been advised in terms of health delivery over this period in time over the last five years or so but we still have concerns about issues particularly with the men based on physical and environmental conditions that they have been facing.
BRD: If we could talk about some of those, we know that they have not had access to water for sometime. What are the dangers of that?
NT: Well there are all sorts of dangers in their current situation. Contaminated water could certainly be a serious issue, there are issue around air bourne diseases and mosquitoes, access to medications is unclear, access to medical care and specialists where needed, the adequacy of that has been unclear. And of course there has been their mental and physical well being due to other factors too in their environment. We felt as senior doctors that we had to yet again voice our concerns and do something and we remain genuine in trying to do something.
BRD: It seems to be a quite a notable group of individuals whose signed this letter with no response but it seems that over the years the government has not said much to you about the health of these men.
NT: Well we have spoken to government from time to time both directly and indirectly but we find they don't wish to engage with us or any other group. There is an advisory group to government but we understand that they are not usually approached either in terms of these issues. So from the information we have had there is just this lack of information and input, that I just don't think is acceptable.
BRD: Could we call it the politicisation of their healthcare?
NT: I am not a politician. And my interest here is not in the politics. My interest is the health of the people who we have a responsibility for and that is the interest of everyone else who signed that document. And that is also the interest of other practitioners in the country ,not just us. At this stage it has become a political issue, very unfortunate and frankly inappropriate.
BRD: Your group is not only worried about the health of these men, you also fear other ramifications?
NT: Well yes we expressed our concern in this letter that Australia's reputation was also being put at risk and that is our personal view about this and the government might have a different view about this but one could argue that Australia's reputation is being or has been damaged due to inadequate healthcare being delivered and again we are basing our comments on unverified information from sources but certainly we have not heard any information to the contrary.