Asylum seekers and healthcare

To the Editor: We wish to acknowledge Dr Aamer Sultan's courage in carrying out his research as a "participant–observer" into the impact of long-term detention on psychological health of asylum seekers1 at the Villawood Detention Centre, Sydney.

In response to the article, Dr Louise Newman, Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, called for an urgent assessment of the mental and physical health of asylum seekers in detention. As well, The Australian2 reported that Dr Newman advised members of the College not to accept appointments in detention centres because of serious concerns about how they were run by Australasian Correctional Management.

Dr Sultan inspires the medical profession, at considerable risk to himself, in order to fulfil the obligation of the first aphorism of Hippocrates: "The physician must not only be prepared to do what is right himself, but also to make the patient, the attendants, and externals cooperate."