Labor’s healthy support

JCU Cairns has bagged bipartisan support with Labor announcing on Tuesday morning it would match the LNP’s investment of $25m for future medical training.

The funding includes 20 commonwealth-supported medical university placements, training medical students from start to finish in Cairns.

Queensland Labor senator Nita Green said the investment would benefit the entire local community.

“JCU has been lobbying hard for this commitment and it’s really exciting that this will mean you can start and finish your medical training right here in Cairns,” she said.

“We know when doctors train locally, doctors stay locally and JCU has an incredible success rate when it comes to making sure their doctors who go through their programs end up working and delivering their professional life here in Far North Queensland.

“This investment will lead to 20 commonwealth-supported placements from 2023 to make sure we have a longevity when it comes to medical schools.”

As Cairns works towards the goal of a university hospital, JCU director Cairns David Craig said the announcement was a “gamechanger”.

“To have bipartisan support reflects that this is a strong community issue,” he said.

“JCU being able to have the places and offer medicine from year one in Cairns is a gamechanger for health provisions and health capabilities in the region.”