About 350 overseas doctors and nurses will fly into Victoria as the sector faces pressure from growing coronavirus cases sending staff into isolation.
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The state government on Wednesday confirmed the recruitments, with about 90 per cent of the new starts being doctors and the remainder made of specialist nurses and midwives.
The majority will start working by October.
"The pandemic has placed enormous pressure on all parts of our health system including our workforce who are testing, vaccinating, and caring for Victorians in record numbers," a government spokesperson said in a statement.
"Roughly 350 health professionals will take up critical roles in our health system over the next few months, with the first group of arrivals set to work across Melbourne and Bendigo."
The medicos will be employed across 30 public health services.
Hundreds of staff at Royal Melbourne Hospital have been furloughed after a coronavirus-infected patient went to the hospital for surgery but was not tested for the illness.
More than 150 staff from Goulburn Valley Health are also isolating because of the growing cluster in Shepparton.
Australian Associated Press
