A re-elected Malinauskas Labor Government will partner with Flinders University to build a new, purpose-built medical education and training facility next to Mount Gambier Hospital, significantly expanding existing training capacity and supporting a doubling of medical students on site from 60 to 120 each year.

There is a nationwide shortage of rural doctors, and evidence shows that medical students who train in regional areas are far more likely to stay and work there. Labor’s plan will strengthen the medical workforce in regional South Australia and improve access to healthcare for country communities.

The new training centre will support Flinders University’s South Australian Rural Medical Program, the State’s first fully rural medical degree, giving students the opportunity to complete their entire Doctor of Medicine in regional South Australia. By expanding teaching capacity and clinical training environments, the new facilities will allow more students to train, live, and work locally, helping build a stronger and more sustainable rural medical workforce over the long term.