More incentives needed to keep doctors, nurses in the NT: Territory experts

It comes as the federal government announced on Wednesday a scheme which would see doctors and nurses have their university debt cleared if they work in a regional or remote area for a certain period of time.

The scheme, which comes into effect next month, would wipe the debt of those who work at least 24 hours a week for a period equivalent to half the length of their degree in a remote community.

Those in rural and regional areas will need to work the same number of hours over a period as long as their entire degree.

Chief executive of the Katherine Health Board, which provides healthcare for eight remote communities in the Top End, welcomed the scheme.

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"It is certainly a useful initiative to attract doctors and nurses, regional and remote," Mr Cooney said.

"We would also like to see other supports in place such as additional salary support to compete with our southern counterparts, as well as international recruitment opportunities for GPS and nurses into the NT."

Attracting and keeping health care professionals in the NT, especially in remote areas, has been a major challenge for the NT government for years.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said there were also a number of specific health challenges for remote Territorians that required specialised knowledge.

"We have a complex system of health care in the Northern Territory. We have found a high level of underlying disease and we certainly work with our NGO partners, the Aboriginal medical organizations, at remote health clinics [and] six hospitals spread across 1.4 million square kilometers," she said.

"We certainly ensure that we provide both primary health care and acute emergency response but there are always challenges."

Ms Fyles said she had not been consulted by the federal government but welcomed any ideas for getting healthcare workers to the NT.

"We certainly welcome any announcement that supports the regions and remote areas of Australia, particularly here in the Territory with the geographical aspect to our community," she said.

The NT's only university, Charles Darwin University, thinks the solution is starting its own medicine program to train locals to be doctors.

The university announced plans to launch their own medical program in partnership with the Menzies School of Health Research in October, but are still awaiting federal government support.

"We support any policy that encourages more doctors and other health care professionals to work in regional, rural and remote areas. However, the real solution is to train our own people in the NT," CDU Vice-Chancellor Scott Bowman said.

"The government needs to get behind CDU's medical school and provide Commonwealth funded medical places."

Dean of the CDU Menzies School of Medicine Professor Dianne Stephens said the federal government scheme could be good for keeping future CDU medical graduates in the NT.

"This program has the potential to provide financial support for our future NT CDU Menzies School of Medicine graduates who remain in the NT to provide primary health care services to our rural and remote communities," she said.

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