Monthly media digest: October/November 2024

29 November 2024

A digest of college news coverage for October/November 2024

Fighting to help the cancer patients Medicare doesn't fund

ANZCA Vice-President Dr Tanya Selak was quoted in an Illawarra Mercury and Milton Ulladulla Times article (paywalled) on 26 November about head and neck cancer funding.

The article said Dr Selak had been part of the complex microvascular reconstruction surgery team since the start and she said she was proud so many Illawarra residents had been able to be treated near home since 2009.

"Over the years, we've become much faster, much more efficient and we've developed such a high-trust team," she said.

FPM dean discusses pain medication shortage

FPM Dean Dr Dilip Kapur was interviewed for a 25 October story in Australian Doctor about the faculty's  concerns over the persistent shortages of essential pain-relieving medications, particularly oral morphine preparations.

NZ article discusses risks of cannabis

An article in NZ online publication Scoop quotes FPM's view of the lack of evidence that proves cannabinoid products are an effective treatment for chronic non-cancer pain.

President interviewed by Australian Doctor on SIMG proposal

ANZCA President Professor David Story told Australian Doctor on 16 October that he believes Ahpra and the Australian Medical Board will quickly find themselves out of their depth in their proposal to fast-track specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs) to be able to work in Australia.. 

 
ANZCA Research Committee chair receives top science award

ANZCA's Research Committee chair, Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, has received the 2024 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year. 

The paediatric anaesthetist was presented with her award at the annual Prime Minister's Prizes for Science 2024 awards on 8 October. 

She was interviewed on the ABC News Breakfast TV program on 9 October about her award. You can watch a video of her here.  

ANZCA concerned about fast tracking plan for overseas doctors

ANZCA President Professor Dave Story was interviewed by Australian media outlets on 7 October about the college's concerns about the fast tracking proposal for overseas trained doctors by Ahpra.

ANZCA's media release was reported by the Herald Sun and the article by medical editor Robyn Riley was sydnicated in print and online to other News Limited publications across Australia (Daily Telegraph, Adelaide Advertiser, Courier Mail, Hobart Mercury, Cairns Post, Townsville Bulletin, NT News, and Gold Coast Bulletin).

The media release  led to several requests for Professor Story to be interviewed on ABC Radio Brisbane Mornings, ABC Radio Perth Drive, ABC Radio Melbourne Drive and ABC Radio National Drive.

He was also interviewed by Australian Doctor and the Medical Republic. 
 
Dave also recorded news bulletin audio “grabs” for 2GB and 3AW and these were run in news bulletins on these stations and their syndicated stations.
 
More than two million people were reached across these platforms across a diverse demographic of readers and listeners in metropolitan, regional and regional Australia.