NEED FOR 1MALAYSIA MEDICAL CLINIC IN MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The move by the Australian''s Overseas Student

Health Cover (OSHC) in Victoria to no longer cover the cost of maternity,

immunisation and dental services for foreign students has caused difficulties

for many Malaysian postgraduate students here.

Victoria Malaysian Postgraduate Association president Shamsul Nizam

Kachi Mohideen said the problem was that most Malaysian postgraduate

students were here with their wives and children.

"If we are to pay for these medical services as private patients, it

would be a big financial burden on us," said the PhD candidate at Monash

University here, at a meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah

Aman here on Thursday night.

This issue was raised during a meeting between Anifah and Malaysian

non-governmental organisations here.

Shamsul Nizam said: "To have OSHC cover was part of the Australian

Government’s requirement for international students, but some public hospitals

in Victoria, especially in the Southern Health district, are not covering our

medical expenses.

"Thus, we are upset with OSHC for not informing us of the changes before we

signed up with them," he said.

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