Border Medical Association chairman Scott Giltrap has resigned from the board amidst ongoing controversy over Albury-Wodonga Health's continued use of locums and registrars from Melbourne hotspots.
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An urgent meeting of BMA representatives was convened on Monday night to discuss the matter after Mr Giltrap publicly raised his concerns about the risks of transmitting the virus from Melbourne to the Border community.
In a letter sent to BMA members on Tuesday, Mr Giltrap formally announced he had stepped down as chairman after doctors at the meeting criticised him for publicly discussing the matter in The Border Mail.
"The majority of the doctors endorsed the policy of AWH and DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) for Melbourne registrars and Accident and Emergency doctors based on the need to use these doctors to keep the service running at expected levels," he wrote.
"The majority of doctors endorsed the policy of AWH and the DHHS to allow doctors to return to Melbourne for social reasons then to return to work at AWH."
Mr Giltrap was told he did not represent the BMA's views on this issue.
The leading fertility specialist maintains there is significant COVID-19 risk to Border residents because doctors can come and go to Melbourne when not on duty at AWH and flagged "the lack of quarantine period and testing during quarantine for these doctors" as further risks.
AWH medical services director Glenn Davies assured residents "our hospitals are safe".
He said "there is no fool-proof infection control measure that will stop COVID-19" and advised doctors "form only a small proportion of that risk".
