AUSTRALIAN CHINESE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:51): I rise today to speak about the Australian Chinese Medical Association of South Australia. On Saturday 5 November 2011 I was honoured to be invited by the Australian Chinese Medical Association to attend its annual foundation charity dinner. The association is commonly referred to as ACMA. It was founded in 1992 by medical doctors and specialists of Chinese migrants from the Asia Pacific region who now reside permanently in South Australia. The association promotes professional and social exchanges within the South Australian medical community. It currently has about 150 members. Over one-third of the members are GPs, another third are specialists and the remainder are resident medical officers and medical students.

I have known the current president, Dr William Tam, and immediate past president, Dr Evelyn Yap, for a considerable time now. I can tell honourable members that they are very nice people. In addition, the more I get to know them the more impressed I am by their professional and philanthropic undertakings. I take this opportunity today to thank the association for its meaningful work and congratulate the committee members, past and present, for their outstanding achievements.

The ACMA Foundation is the charity arm of the association and was founded in 1996. The aim of the foundation is to support individual and community health, medical education, medical research and community welfare. Since its inception, the foundation has donated over $100,000 to various local and international charitable organisations and other worthy causes. Among some of the beneficiaries of the foundation are: Canteen—helping young people living with cancer; Teen Challenge—helping young people with life's problems; the Sunrise Orphanage in Cambodia; the Grace Home, an orphanage in Thailand; the Royal Society of the Blind; the Flying Doctor Service; the Bordertown Hospital Building Fund; the Queensland Institute of Medical Research; the AMA Building Fund; and, many more.

I wish to share other stories, including that they are sponsoring medical equipment to be used in African countries. The other success I like to talk about is the involvement of ACMA in the Multicultural Liver Clinic, which is an initiative of PEACE Multicultural Service of Relationships Australia in partnership with many hospitals and the Hepatitis C Council of South Australia. The clinic is a two-year pilot project that aims to use a holistic approach to address the higher prevalence of hepatitis B and C amongst Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The clinic is staffed by bilingual workers and doctors.

Funds from the foundation are raised through generous donations, such as the annual ACMA Foundation gala dinner. The foundation also sponsors awards in the community, including: the Adelaide and Flinders University medical school academic awards; the Chinese Language Teachers Association of South Australia student awards; and, also, the matriculation examination Chinese language awards. The association is a vibrant, united and inclusive organisation, thanks to the strong leadership and hardworking committee, of course supported by its members and sponsors from the business and corporate sectors. Today, it is my privilege to be able to speak about ACMA in the Legislative Council, and I place on the record my sincere congratulations and thanks to ACMA for its wonderful work and generous contribution in making a positive and healthy impact on the South Australian community.