AMA President Claims Half A Victory

AMA President Claims Half A Victory, Oct. 26, 2007

In a curious media release during the recent Federal election, the AMA reported that an independent survey of doctors found that 51% of them believed the AMA’s health policies for the election were the best of all health policies put for the election.

The survey conducted by Medical Observer magazine asked readers to identify which organisation ‘most closely represents the needs of the Australian health system’ with their election policies.

AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, claimed the survey showed that the AMA was the best advocate for Australia’s GPs and their patients.

In actual fact what it does show is that half of the surveyed doctors didn’t think the AMA’s policies were the best—a sad indictment of the supposed peak body for doctors.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua is opposed to physician assisted dying (PAD) and doesn’t represent the views of her members on that issue either.

Professional surveys show that 96% of doctors believe a patient’s request to die can be rational, 59% believe that actively hastening death can be right, and 52% believe that their professional organisation should approve PAD