When Dr Sue Hosn arrived in Australia from Lebanon almost forty years ago, the cost of transferring her dentistry skills was not an issue.In that time, she says the fees for overseas-trained dentists to get their qualifications recognised, have steadily risen.
The government is now offering scholarships of up to 22 thousand dollars, to streamline the process of bringing overseas-trained dentists, to work here.He says this initiative will support better healthcare for Victorians. “It will assist. It certainly won't pay for everything, especially when it takes years at the moment to be assessed and enter our workforce with the way the system is set up. So, working cooperatively with the Federal Government, I think Victoria could talk to Minister Butler again about how they are going to reduce the complexity and impediments of red tape to faster recognition of overseas dentists to come to Australia.
With poor oral health a leading cause of preventable hospital admissions in children, Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the Smile Squad program - comprising of health workers and specially designed vehicles - has reached 80,000 students across the state.