NZMA welcomes freeze on student fees

FROM: Dr John Adams, NZMA Chairman

DATE: 29 August, 2001

SUBJECT: NZMA welcomes freeze on student fees

"It's great news that both Auckland and Otago Universities are not going to be raising fees for medical students this year" said Dr John Adams Chairman of the New Zealand Medical Association.

Dr Adams was responding to the decisions by Auckland and Otago Universities to accept the Government's funding offer, which required them to agree not to raise student fees this year.

"The prospect of medical student fees increasing from $10,000 to around $12,500 was a frightening one, which promised to increase the numbers of recent medical graduates leaving New Zealand" said Dr Adams. "The fees are already much too high, and debt is a key factor in many young doctors deciding to practice overseas. We simply cannot afford to put greater pressure on them to leave."

While welcoming the fee freeze, Dr Adams said "It's only part of the answer - the Government must commit itself to find both short and long term solutions to the drastic shortages within the medical workforce, so that New Zealanders can continue to receive care from the highly trained graduates of our medical schools".

ENDS

CONTACT DETAILS:

John Adams Chairman (03) 476 6060 (dd) (025) 377 609 (mobile)

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