A medical advocate for refugees says a decision to transfer unwell asylum seeker on Nauru to Papua New Guinea rather than Australia for backup specialist treatment is an appalling and unethical move.
Australia's immigration department says an agreement has been made with PNG for specialist care for asylum seekers and refugees at the private Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby.
Nauru President Baron Waqa and Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Photo: AFP
But a Brisbane General Practitioner and the spokesman for Doctors for Refugees, Dr Richard Kidd, says the refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru are Australia's responsibility.
"It's unethical of Australia to be sending people to a hospital in Papua New Guinea where health resources are very, very stretched and it's wrong of us to tying up their resources with our patients."
Listen to the full interview with Richard Kidd on Dateline Pacific