PIMA moot to address doctors' exodus

Pakistan's healthcare system is facing an urgent crisis, including the growing exodus of doctors, a stark gender gap in the medical workforce, and the pressing need for digitalisation, among other issues. These issues will be discussed during the upcoming 27th Biennial Convention of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), starting on Saturday, September 21, in Karachi.

Speaking ahead of the PIMA Biennial Convention, newly-elected PIMA President Professor Dr. Atif Hafeez Siddiqui, along with senior PIMA members, including Prof. Dr. Sohail Akhtar, former caretaker health minister Sindh Prof. Dr. Saad Khalid Niaz, PIMA Karachi President Prof. Dr. Abdullah Muttaqi, and Prof. Dr. Abdul Malik highlighted these concerns while calling for immediate reforms to address them.

Speaking at a news conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Wednesday, Prof. Atif Siddiqui pointed out that 35% of female doctors in Pakistan do not practice after completing their medical education, primarily due to a lack of support infrastructure. Of the remaining 65% of practicing female doctors, only 20-25% work full-time.

"This is a significant gap that needs to be addressed. We must rethink how to engage these women, possibly through avenues like telemedicine, which was successfully implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic," he stated.

On the issue of doctor migration, Prof. Siddiqui revealed that 40-50% of male medical graduates express a desire to leave Pakistan and work abroad, with 25-30% already serving in foreign countries. He called the situation "alarming" and noted that many newly graduated doctors feel underpaid and undervalued, exacerbating the talent drain.

"We are losing our brightest minds. The first heart transplant was led by a Pakistani doctor trained abroad-this shows the magnitude of the brain drain our country is facing," he said. He also emphasised the need for digitalising Sindh health department, a reform he said would expose ghost employees and improve transparency in processes such as postings, transfers, and data management.

"Doctors are constantly struggling with bureaucratic red tape, and a digital system would eliminate the need for outdated processes that make even minor tasks, like leave applications, difficult," he explained.

Former caretaker health minister Sindh Prof. Saad Khalid Niaz further added that health insurance schemes, already implemented in other provinces, should be introduced in Sindh.