As part of Rudd government's $145 million package to boost specialist numbers, Australian private hospitals are now expected to become the main training grounds for medical graduates.

As public hospitals are now at its full capacity, government now seeks the attention of private hospitals to play a greater role in training as they aim a surge in graduates on 2012.

Ian Gough, president of Royal Australian College of Surgeons, said that increases in training areas of 20 to 30 percent are planned to some specific fields such as the orthopedic and other general categories.

Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists president Leona Wilson said that their college is ready to train as many anesthetists' specialists in the public and private system as there are funded positions.

Dr Wilson said that the college had been influencing the government to fund an increased number of training areas for years.

Martin Laverty, chief executive of Catholic Health Australia, said that the private sector had the capability to expand its role on the training of medical specialists most especially that most surgical procedures were performed in private hospitals.

Medicine Australia