KARACHI:
The increasing number of female medical graduates unable to join the profession or leave it at some stage is highly concerning. Today, over 70% of students in medical colleges are females due to Pakistan’s open merit system. However, a big percentage of them do not enter the workforce after graduation. This is not due to a lack of commitment, but because of the deep-rooted cultural norms, workplace harassment, lack of family-friendly policies and inadequate support for women in healthcare institutions.
While we must uphold open merit, we must also support our female graduates if we want this merit to lead to actual healthcare service delivery. Policies such as six-month paid maternity leave, flexible hours, on-site childcare, safe rural postings and harassment-free environments are necessary to enable female doctors to work and thrive. Digital health platforms like Sehat Kahani and DoctHERs show promise by enabling home-based telemedicine practice. Expanding such models, alongside workplace reforms, can bridge the gap between female medical education and employment.
This is not just a women’s issue; it’s a national one. We are in a national healthcare emergency, and we need all its trained doctors in action. Let’s retain and empower our women in medicine.
Sannia Saeed
Karachi
Absor
Medical education and women
The increasing number of female medical graduates unable to join the profession or leave it at some stage is highly concerning. Today, over 70% of students in medical colleges are females due to Pakistan’s open merit system. However, a big percentage of them do not enter the workforce after graduation. This is not due to a lack of commitment, but because of the deep-rooted cultural norms, workplace harassment, lack of family-friendly policies and inadequate support for women in healthcare institutions.
While we must uphold open merit, we must also support our female graduates if we want this merit to lead to actual healthcare service delivery. Policies such as six-month paid maternity leave, flexible hours, on-site childcare, safe rural postings and harassment-free environments are necessary to enable female doctors to work and thrive. Digital health platforms like Sehat Kahani and DoctHERs show promise by enabling home-based telemedicine practice. Expanding such models, alongside workplace reforms, can bridge the gap between female medical education and employment.
This is not just a women’s issue; it’s a national one. We are in a national healthcare emergency, and we need all its trained doctors in action. Let’s retain and empower our women in medicine.
Sannia Saeed
Karachi
