Australian Chinese Medical Association South Australia

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.S. Lee:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the 25th anniversary of the Australian Chinese Medical Association SA (ACMA-SA);

2. Pays tribute to past and present presidents and committee members of ACMA-SA for their leadership and long-term commitment to support charitable causes, community programs and healthcare services for the South Australian community; and

3. Highlights the achievements and contributions of ACMA-SA and the Australian-Chinese medical professionals made to Australia and South Australia.

(Continued from 5 July 2017.)

The Hon. T.T. NGO (21:25): I rise on behalf of the government to support the Hon. Jing Lee's motion. The Australian Chinese Medical Association of South Australia (ACMA) was founded in 1992, which is 25 years ago. From its inception, the ACMA has strived to promote professional and social exchanges within the South Australian medical community, to enhance and build upon knowledge and to represent its members in wider society through various community activities.

The ACMA currently has around 150 members, with one-third of its members being GPs, another third being specialists and the remaining third being residents, medical officers and medical students. The Australian Chinese Medical Association Foundation, formed in 1996, is the charity arm of the ACMA and since 2008 has been honoured with the patronage of His Excellency the Governor of South Australia, Mr Hieu Van Le.

The objectives of the foundation are to support medical research and education in South Australia, to promote community health and health education, to encourage research by medical students of Adelaide and Flinders universities, to provide awards for excellence for students of Adelaide and Flinders universities, and to fund projects that benefit the elderly and disadvantaged, all of which are worthy objectives.

Another part of the ACMA is the Young ACMA. The Young ACMA was formed to cater specially for younger members as well as medical students. The Young ACMA aims to foster strong bonds among young doctors across all fields of medicine as well encourage professional and social relationships between young and senior ACMA members, including a mentorship program. They also organise educational and social events catering to the needs of the young ACMA members.

Throughout its 25 years, the association has proved itself to be a dedicated and united association, thanks in no small part to its hardworking organising committee and, of course, the steady support of all its members and sponsors. I congratulate its current president, Dr Jane Zhang, and vice-president, Dr Kien Ha, whom I know very well and I know his dad very well, along with all other board members, past and present, for their commitment and dedication in making the association what it is today.

The future of the Australian Chinese Medical Association of South Australia is indeed bright, with membership increasing among the up and coming new generations of doctors and medical students, who will no doubt continue its proud legacy and noble traditions.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Dr William Tam, a former president of the ACMA, on his appointment as President of the Australian Medical Association of South Australia earlier this year. With that, I fully support this motion.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (21:30): I rise to speak on the motion moved by the Hon. Jing Lee in relation to the Australian Chinese Medical Association of South Australia. As shadow minister for health and wellbeing, I am delighted to join this council's recognition of the 25^th anniversary of the association. I thank the Hon. Jing Lee for giving us this opportunity to pause and to celebrate the hands that built the association and continue to build the friendship within the Chinese community and the wider community.

At 25, the association is a young association that comes from one of the oldest communities in the state, which in turn comes from one of the oldest cultures in the world. Mr Tim Sang from the Guangdong province in China arrived in the province of South Australia before 1840. The community was the subject of ongoing discrimination in the 1800s. In fact, in the first year of this parliament in 1857, a poll tax was imposed on every Chinese person landing in South Australia. The parliament was responding to an influx of immigrants relating to a gold rush.

The Chinese community rarely spoke out, but it is interesting that when it did so on one occasion in 1888 the community referenced health issues. The petition proudly asserted that the Chinese community made no demands on hospital accommodation and there were no Chinese drunks. In that context, it was interesting that in that same year, Mr Way Lee, a Chinese businessman raised £191 to help build the Adelaide hospital.

Chinese community members have continued to make a significant contribution to the South Australian community through the modern era. In October 1990, only a few years before the Australian Chinese Medical Association was formed, Dr Bernice Pfitzner, a medical practitioner originally from Singapore, was the first Chinese person elected to this Legislative Council. Of course, I am proud to say that Dr Pfitzner was a member of the Liberal Party team. In May 2000, Mr Alfred Huang, a migrant from Hong Kong, became the first Chinese Lord Mayor of Adelaide.

This Australian-Chinese community has also grown significantly over the years. I understand there were about 300 Chinese South Australians in the 1880s. The community had grown to around 10,000 by the mid-1980s and now numbers in the order of 40,000. Chinese students represent 40 per cent of the 30,000 international students that we host. Chinese visitors make up 10 per cent of South Australia's international visits. The Australian Chinese Medical Association of South Australia provides a very valuable role in that context. As a network of health professionals with Chinese language skills, the association plays an invaluable role in making South Australia a healthy, safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike.

Our health system is stronger when clinicians communicate clearly; however, it is further enriched when their communication skills are broader and richer in terms of language and culture. When our clinicians are able to speak with their patients in Mandarin or in Chinese, or in any of the other languages spoken by thousands of people who depend on our health system, the health system is better and safer.

The Australian Chinese Medical Association has a wideranging membership, including both Chinese and non-Chinese members. It includes GPs, specialists, senior medical officers and students. The association offers not only a range of medical expertise, but also cultural diversity and acceptance. Promoting diversity and assisting the Chinese community in our state are part of the great services the ACMA provides. Beyond the relationship between doctor and patient, the association has fostered stronger ties between the Chinese-Australian community and other communities in the state.

It has struck me that both the association and its related foundation support a wide range of charities and charities not only limited to the Chinese community. The ACMA Foundation has supported numerous charities, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Royal Society for the Blind and the Medical Benevolent Association of South Australia. It has also provided support to members of the Chinese community struggling with their health, as well as medical and financial assistance to orphanages in China.

The association has won the respect of both the Chinese and the broader medical communities. It has established strong ties between the two. The respect in which the Chinese Medical Association is held in the wider medical community is highlighted by the service of one of its leaders, Dr William Tam. In 2011, Dr Tam established the Australia-Chinese collaborative initiative as a platform for research, training and education in gastroenterology. As President of the Australian Chinese Medical Association and the Australasian Council of Chinese Medical Associations, in 2013 he chaired a lecture series on migrant and women's health, organised in conjunction with Chinese students and the Chinese embassy.

In 2017, Dr Tam was recently installed as the President of the South Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association. Dr Tam's leadership in both the Chinese Medical Association and the broader medical community is a sign of respect both to him personally and to the Chinese community. I wish him well.

Along with other parliamentarians, including the Hon. Julie Bishop, I was delighted to attend the ACMA's Chinese lunar new year function earlier this year, hosted by the president, Dr Jane Zhang.

In conclusion, I am delighted to acknowledge the contribution of the Australian Chinese Medical Association of South Australia, the strong leadership of Dr Zhang, the hard work of its committee, leaders and members and wish all of them well, both now and in the future.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (21:37): On behalf of the Hon. Jing Lee I wish to thank the Hon. Tung Ngo and the Hon. Stephen Wade for their contributions on this matter. This organisation is obviously one that the Hon. Ms Lee has a great deal to do with and had great pride in moving this motion, which I commend to the council.

Motion carried.