The Australian Medical Association's (AMA's) new president, Dr Andrew Pesce, has moved swiftly to quell unnecessary alarm over the swine flu outbreak.
Dr Pesce has stressed that most of the swine flu cases in Australia to date were not cause for panic.
"We want the population to be assured that there is no huge impact in terms of severe illness at this stage," he said on Sunday.
"It tends to produce minor illness in the vast majority of cases."
As swine flu numbers across the country continue to multiply, Dr Pesce says he will work with the nation's chief health officer Jim Bishop on a new strategy to help doctors identify the worst cases of the A(H1N1) virus.
The Sydney-based obstetrician and gynaecologist was elected the AMA's new president at its national conference in Melbourne on Sunday.
He took over from Dr Rosanna Capolingua, who retired after two years in the role.
Dr Pesce said it was hoped the new strategy to help doctors identify and treat more serious cases of swine flu would be in place by next week.
"Hopefully, we will have this within the next week, a system whereby doctors have confidence in picking those cases which are at risk of progressing to more serious disease, so they can be more aggressively treated earlier," Dr Pesce told reporters in Melbourne.
Dr Pesce said he was looking forward to working with federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon.
He said he was also eager to see more details of the government's plan to overhaul the nation's health system.
Another key issue for the medical profession was ensuring there were enough resources in place to support new doctors undertaking their training in teaching hospitals, Dr Pesce said.
Dr Pesce, who is married with two daughters, is also president of the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
He has served on the AMA's Federal Council and Executive, and works in the private and public health systems.
He is the clinical director of women's health at Sydney West Area Health Service and Chair of the Westmead Hospital Medical Staff Council.
Queensland general practitioner Dr Steven Hambleton was elected as the AMA's vice president while Victorian physician Dr Roderick McRae becomes the AMA's council chair.
Dr Peter Garcia-Webb, a West Australian pathologist, was elected treasurer.
A Melbourne Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Gary Speck, and a general practitioner from Coonabarabran, NSW, Aniello Iannuzzi also stood for the presidency.
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