Visiting medical specialists are being provided with bicycles instead of cars Source: Supplied
VISITING medical specialists to Alice Springs do not get private access to fleet cars — and must instead do their shopping and explore the town on supplied bicycles.
The Centralian Advocate can reveal senior health department figures in Darwin, who are trying to attract quality specialists to the Centre, are baffled at the revelations and will seek an explanation from the Central Australia Health Service.
While the doctors are given cars for work, including for overtime and on-call shifts, they are offered bikes for their days off and after-work hours.
It means they have to walk or ride to do the shopping or visit the region’s tourist attractions, many of which are hours apart.
When quizzed by the Centralian Advocate, CAHS chief operating officer Sue Korner said the department encouraged “healthy pursuits” and bikes and helmets were available for doctors.
“Visiting medical officers and registrars are only issued with vehicles if it forms part of their employment contract,” she said.
“Subject to the conditions of their employment and their compliance with the protocols and guidelines, cars are available from Department of Health’s small vehicle fleet for legitimate work purposes.”
Ms Korner would not explain why CAHS did not provide every visiting doctor with a vehicle, nor would she say how many had a car as part of their contracts.
Specialists and registrars are often brought into Alice Springs from interstate and use the town as a hub between community visits, but attracting them has long been a challenge for remote health services.
AMA NT president Dr Robert Parker said other jurisdictions normally provided cars for visiting doctors’ private use.
“I would think if they (doctors) are looking at their emails and see in Queensland they are given a car and in the Territory they get a bike, I know where I’d be going, unless you’re an exercise fanatic,” he said.
“The AMA is very happy the department is encouraging healthy transport options for visiting medical staff, but it doesn’t appear consistent with conditions in other states, (where) it seems to be a standard that when they stay there they get a car for their downtime.”
There are more than 3500 vehicles in the Territory Government’s fleet.