The reason why these Australian doctors are offering free surgery

The Briefing

Headlines: Kamala Harris’ SNL appearance may have violated TV political rules, Anthony Albanese’s promise to young voters and Sydney hosts the world premiere of Wicked.

Deep Dive: A network of volunteer doctors in Australia are stepping up to provide free medical care for Palestinians who have fled Gaza.

From performing surgeries on patients with amputated limbs to treating chronic illness, they are stepping in where the government has fallen short, in part due to visas provided for those fleeing not allowing access to healthcare.

One of these doctors is Dr Mohamed Amr. He is the co-founder of the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association (PANZMA). In this exclusive conversation, he joins Antoinette Lattouf in this episode of The Briefing to talk about PANZMA’s work, the devastating suffering he’s witnessed, the hope his work is providing to those in need, and what more he wants the government to do.

Despite repeated inquiries from The Briefing, DFAT has failed to disclose how many Palestinian refugees are granted access to healthcare or provide a comparison of the visa types granted to Israeli and Ukrainian refugees. In stark contrast to the comprehensive support extended to Ukrainians escaping violence, the majority of the 1,300 Palestinian patients are only on visitor visas. These visas strip them of the right to access health benefits, study, or work, leaving them unable to secure even the most basic medical care.

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