Pak-Arab medical exchange: Visiting professor programme proposed
Six to eight weeks period of imparting training and lectures in universities.
ISLAMABAD:
Over 70 percent of doctors, who were recruited by the Saudi government from Pakistan in 2010, could not reach Saudia Arabia due to complex employment issues. This was discussed in a meeting between Saudi Health Minister Dr Abdullah Al-Rabea and the Pakistani Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Umer Ali Sherazi, held here recently.
Al-Rabea said the Saudi government had selected 6,000 health workers from Pakistan and agreed to recruit more. However, 70 per cent of the doctors recruited last year, could not reach Saudi Arabia to take up their assignments. He requested to simplify the procedure related to the employment of doctors.
The minister said that the Saudi government wanted to initiate a visiting professor programme, under which senior doctors and professors from Pakistan would be invited to visit Saudi Arabia for six to eight weeks duration. They would impart training and deliver lectures in the medical universities of Saudia Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Saudi government has suggested that Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) be made a focal point for dealing with matters related to employment of Pakistani doctors as well as visiting of professors to impart training and deliver lectures in medical universities in Saudi Arabia.
In this connection, the registrar of the council Dr Ahmad Nadeem Akbar has written a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing their willingness to accept this responsibility of handling the matter, which will help facilitating the Pakistani doctors.
Dr Nadeem proposed to hold a meeting between the PM&DC, the Saudi Consulate in Pakistan, the relevant Saudi authorities in Saudi Arabia and the Director General, M.E. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the responsibilities and obligations of each party, so that this initiative can be made effective and of practical value.
He said that, as per protocol of PM&DC, the credentials of all the doctors are verified by the council before they are registered by the council and that all necessary information in this regard is available with PMDC’s Credentials and Verification Section, which can be provided readily thus securing the jobs of the Pakistani doctors in Saudi Arabia.
Later, the decision to make PM&DC the focal point was taken in a meeting with the Saudi Minister of Health by Pakistan’s Ambassador in Saudi Arabia and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested the PMDC to act as focal point for dealing with the matters related to the employment of Pakistani doctors and visiting professors programme in an expeditious manner.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2011.
Over 70 percent of doctors, who were recruited by the Saudi government from Pakistan in 2010, could not reach Saudia Arabia due to complex employment issues. This was discussed in a meeting between Saudi Health Minister Dr Abdullah Al-Rabea and the Pakistani Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Umer Ali Sherazi, held here recently.
Al-Rabea said the Saudi government had selected 6,000 health workers from Pakistan and agreed to recruit more. However, 70 per cent of the doctors recruited last year, could not reach Saudi Arabia to take up their assignments. He requested to simplify the procedure related to the employment of doctors.
The minister said that the Saudi government wanted to initiate a visiting professor programme, under which senior doctors and professors from Pakistan would be invited to visit Saudi Arabia for six to eight weeks duration. They would impart training and deliver lectures in the medical universities of Saudia Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Saudi government has suggested that Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) be made a focal point for dealing with matters related to employment of Pakistani doctors as well as visiting of professors to impart training and deliver lectures in medical universities in Saudi Arabia.
In this connection, the registrar of the council Dr Ahmad Nadeem Akbar has written a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing their willingness to accept this responsibility of handling the matter, which will help facilitating the Pakistani doctors.
Dr Nadeem proposed to hold a meeting between the PM&DC, the Saudi Consulate in Pakistan, the relevant Saudi authorities in Saudi Arabia and the Director General, M.E. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the responsibilities and obligations of each party, so that this initiative can be made effective and of practical value.
He said that, as per protocol of PM&DC, the credentials of all the doctors are verified by the council before they are registered by the council and that all necessary information in this regard is available with PMDC’s Credentials and Verification Section, which can be provided readily thus securing the jobs of the Pakistani doctors in Saudi Arabia.
Later, the decision to make PM&DC the focal point was taken in a meeting with the Saudi Minister of Health by Pakistan’s Ambassador in Saudi Arabia and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested the PMDC to act as focal point for dealing with the matters related to the employment of Pakistani doctors and visiting professors programme in an expeditious manner.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2011.