AMA President, Dr Omar Khorshid, today welcomed the appointment of Professor Paul Kelly as the new Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Australian Government.
"The role of CMO is critical, particularly during the COVID19 pandemic. In this time of unprecedented crisis, the Government has needed and listened to the strong and independent medical advice provided by the CMO," Dr Khorshid said.
"Prof Kelly has provided excellent leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, initially supporting CMO, Professor Brendan Murphy, and since June as Acting CMO.
"Prof Kelly has proven to be a calm and authoritative public voice throughout the pandemic, keeping the community well informed and helping them to understand many of the difficult decisions that have been made to protect Australians from the impact of COVID-19.
"The AMA has an excellent relationship with Prof Kelly, who has been very accessible throughout COVID-19 and has taken on board many of the issues raised by the AMA.
"The pandemic is far from over. The AMA looks forward to continuing to work with Prof Kelly, who will need to play a central role in guiding our ongoing policy responses.
"I would also like to pay tribute to Prof Murphy for his outstanding leadership as CMO during the early days and months of this pandemic.
"His leadership was critical to Australia keeping this virus largely under control."
