Doctors reviewing the transfer of asylum seekers to Australia have warned a lack of face-to-face interpreter services for transferees could be impeding their access to medical treatment.
The Independent Health Advice Panel overseeing medevac processing has outlined a series of concerns already raised with the Department of Home Affairs in their latest official report.
The panel is also placing scrutiny on delays in their advice being referred to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and a “lack of movement” from Nauru when transfer to Australia is recommended.
A “lack of in-person interpreter services” was noted as a particular concern for those with “mental health issues”.
The Morrison government is attempting to repeal the Medevac laws. Source: AAP
“There was agreement that interpretation via telephone was not an acceptable option for these people and could be a genuine impediment to providing sound clinical treatment and care,” the medical panel reported.
The medical panel’s latest official snapshot of medevac processing was tabled in the Senate on Wednesday night.
It said 57 medevac cases were considered between July and September 2019 – with the Home Affairs Minister approving transfers in 12 of the cases.
Peter Dutton denied the transfer of the other 45 cases on the basis of the facilities available for treatment in Papua New Guinea and Nauru being adequate to provide medical care.
The medical panel upheld this decision in all cases.
But their latest report did outline concerns over “delays between treating doctors’ referrals” and "referral to the Minister" and a: “lack of movement from Nauru when the Panel has recommended transfer to Australia.”
The medical panel's report had been due to be tabled three days after 30 September – but the document was released after Labor moved an order pushing for them to be disclosed.
There have been 135 people held in offshore detention brought to Australia for medical treatment since March under the medical transfer laws.
The Morrison government is pushing to repeal the legislation that allows refugees to be transferred for medical treatment under doctor referrals, citing national security and border protection concerns,
The so-called medevac laws were passed during the last Parliament against opposition from the Coalition.
Senator Jacqui Lambie will hold the deciding vote on whether the repeal push passes the Senate, who has said she wanted to wait for a Senate inquiry before making her decision.
That Senate Committee backed the push to scrap the laws, despite the majority of evidence submitted to its inquiry backing the process.
The government-dominated committee handed down its report, finding the laws contained “significant flaws”.
This included the lack of a process to return refugees to once they’ve recovered and short time frames to assess security and character concerns.
But 11 peak medical organisations are among those campaigning for the medevac laws to stay in place.
Two members have been added to the medical panel from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and the Australian Psychological Society, according to the Independent Health Advice Panel's report.
