With 10 children left stranded on Nauru, doctors from around Australia are continuing their campaign to have all children safely evacuated.
Dr Chris Coghill from Katoomba has been part of the campaign to get all kids off the island.
“As a local community doctor, I understand what kids need to be healthy and safe, and I simply can’t stand by while children are being detained in offshore detention and slowly broken.
“It’s welcome news that the government has finally taken doctors orders and started removing children from offshore detention facilities. But one kid detained on Nauru is too many, and 10 remain.
“Thousands of doctors from all over Australia have stood together and said enough is enough, these children are very sick as a result of being detained in offshore detention for as many as five years.
“They need to be evacuated right now.
“No child should be detained in offshore detention and no one should be detained in offshore detention indefinitely,” he said.
Indefinite detention is causing terrible suffering and adverse health impacts, the doctor said.
“We are calling on the government to remove all children and their families from Nauru immediately.
We are calling on the government to remove all children and their families from Nauru immediately.
- Dr Chris Coghill
“The government must find a pathway to permanent settlement and citizenship for everyone in Australian offshore detention, as a priority.
“They need to put in place a proper medical process for everyone held on Manus and Nauru so they receive the medical care they need. And, ensure that no children are ever detained in offshore detention again.
“Anything else is unacceptable to doctors in Australia,” Dr Coghill said.
Staff at Faulconbridge Health Centre have also joined the campaign. Last week they went “Blue for Nauru” to highlight the plight of the children.
GP at the practice, Dr Helen Balkin, said: “As health professionals we cannot ignore the damage we are doing by imprisoning children on Nauru. We wore blue to recognise the adverse mental health impacts that detention has on these children and call on our politicians to end the harm they are causing these children in our name.”