Tuesday, October 25, 2011 of local time , Australia Melbourne Monash University Research Fellow Mr Christopher Anderson visited Shenzhen Continuing Medical Education Centre ( CME Shenzhen ) and had a conversation with GP representatives. The GP representatives were from surgery practices of local city and rural areas, practicing in community health service in different medical fields such as gynecology, general surgery, or cardio@mryebinlogy.
Unlike medical system in Australia, Shenzhenese can visit any community health centres, clinics or a hospitals consulting room as they wish. Whilst the public health insurance have already set up programmes to encourage these health buyers who use the community practice only pay 70% for drugs in general dispensary catalogue.
CME Shenzhen hosted Christopher’s visit and he instroduced his research on gambling problems in Australia, which had already drew series trouble to gamblers themselves, their families and the communities as well. The research team in Medicine, Nursing and Health Science School of Monash University had been working with RACGP, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and set up guideline for GPs to idendify gambling problems from client’s visiting.
Some gamblers suffer from depressions, stressess, human relationship conflicts and they commonly are covered by simple symptoms and complaints. A visitor to the surgery practice probably would not tell his gambling history to the GP. According to the new guideline, GPs may transfer gambling addiction cases to special consultants for further psychological and mental services.
Mr Christopher Anderson just finished a international problem gambling conference in Beijing before his arrival to Shenzhen. Local GP representatives showed their interest to gambling problems in Australia as a public health topic. They also invited Christopher to visit Shenzhen again to explore local GP systems.
Mr Anderson is currently the coordinator of the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development Initiative.