Aussie PM asks people to support foreign docs

In the wake of the detention of two Indian doctors over the failed United Kingdom terror plot, Prime Minister John Howard has urged people not to persecute foreign physicians practising in Australia as they have long been an invaluable part of the country's health system.

The second Indian doctor, Mohammad Asif Ali, who was held along with Mohammed Haneef in Brisbane, however, has been released without charge after questioning while Haneef's detention has been extended.

Howard said foreign doctors had long been an invaluable part of Australia's health system. "Foreign doctors came to this country long before terrorism was an issue," he was quoted as saying by The Age.

"So, I think we have to be careful not to jump to too many conclusions."

Federal Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey also said that a doctor's nationality should never affect the way they carry out their work.

Earlier, Australian Medical Association president Rosanna Capolingua defended the recruitment of internationally-trained doctors in Australia.

"It is natural for people to feel disturbed about what has happened and I am sure Australians, particularly ones who are just encountering overseas-trained doctors and don't have a relationship with them, will feel a little anxious," Capolingua said, adding, "Overseas-trained doctors have been an essential part of our workforce for many years. I don't want patients to be frightened to see their doctors."

Almost 50 per cent of rural doctors in Queensland were international medical graduates and up to 5,000 were in the Australian health system, Capolingua said.

She said the Australian Medical Association would not launch an investigation into current recruitment practices.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said his government would continue to recruit foreign-trained doctors to cover the shortage of Australian doctors in the state's health system.