Positive response to dentist recruitment campaign

31/3/04
A new program to recruit overseas dentists to fill the vacancies in regional public dental clinics has received strong interest, according to Health Minister Jim McGinty.
Four overseas dentists have already been recruited to regional areas with the first starting in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in May.
"We also have a dentist who has agreed to work in Port Hedland, and a married dentist couple have accepted positions in Albany," Mr McGinty said.
"The couple's start date will be confirmed once Department of Immigration requirements are processed, hopefully in the next month or two.
"This is very exciting news. However, we are still maintaining our efforts to secure dentists for other priority areas including the Kimberley, Bunbury and Newman."
Under the new Overseas Dentist Scheme, graduate dentists from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa are eligible to participate whereby they are granted initial exemption from assessment by the Australian Dental Council.
Instead, they receive provisional registration for up to three years - in the third year they must complete the final practical examination of the Australian Dental Council.
On passing the examination the dentists are granted full registration.
Mr McGinty said there had already been several responses to advertisements placed in South African dental journals for dentists to work in regional public dental clinics in WA.
"To date we have received commitments from four South African dentists to come and work in rural WA, which is great news for dental patients in several areas of the State," he said.
The recruitment of these dentists complements the State Government's recent $2million injection to provide treatment to long wait list public dental patients.
The strategy targets all public patients who have waited longer than 14 months for general dental treatment at Albany, Bunbury and Goldfields clinics, along with three metropolitan clinics.
Minister's office: 9220 5000