By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter
The Commerce Commission is investigating allegations by overseas doctors that New Zealand medical specialists run a "closed shop."
An official confirmed last night that the commission was checking for barriers designed to keep out new doctors.
"We're looking at it from the point of view of whether there's any breach of the Commerce Act, particularly the restrictive trade provisions."
Individuals who flout the law risk fines of up to $500,000, and commercial groups up to $5 million.
The official said the investigation had been going for "more than some months," but he could not reveal anything more.
Overseas Doctors Association president Dr Indraka Fernando said some members who were specialists had made complaints to the commission as individuals.
"Most of the people think it is a closed shop."
The complainants came from across the spectrum of medical specialties and from a range of countries, including Britain. They had experienced difficulties setting up in practice here.
He said one who was trying to register here had been interviewed for less than 10 minutes by a panel from the college governing his branch of medicine.
The Herald learned of the investigation as immigrant surgeon Dr Alex Grigoriev's lawsuit against the Medical Council is about to go to court. He is seeking $2000 in fees paid when he was trying to register here.
The 41-year-old Ukrainian children's orthopaedic surgeon, who left his homeland because of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, claims the council did not assess him properly.
He acknowledges the lawsuit is a token gesture but says it is on behalf of hundreds of foreign doctors encouraged by the Government to immigrate under the points system but rejected by the council.
If successful, he plans to press the Government for compensation for lost income.
Dr Grigoriev shifted to Auckland with his wife and daughter in 1995 and worked at Mercy Hospital as a surgical assistant for 14 months while waiting for medical registration.
But in 1998, the Australasian College of Surgeons told the council that Dr Grigoriev was unlikely to attain registration as a surgeon within a two-year assessment period.
The college recommended he apply for a lower registration and fresh surgical training.
Dr Grigoriev said yesterday that the college's assessment on behalf of the council was full of errors, for instance saying he trained and worked in Russia.
His qualifications were recognised by many other countries, including Australia, he said, but he liked living here and his wife had established an art restoration business.
He was now studying to become a museum or art gallery curator because "six years without practising is professional death for a surgeon."
Council spokeswoman Susan Pattullo said Dr Grigoriev's qualifications would not be acceptable in Australia.
Physicians probed for barring foreigners
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