Foreign degree doctors’ woes continue

LAHORE: The public sector medical colleges have refused to arrange a one-year training for over 450 foreign medical and dental graduates.

The graduates had failed to clear the licensing exam held by the National Examination Board (NEB) on June 20.

A few private sector colleges have, however, agreed to offer such classes and have asked the candidates to pay Rs0.5 million in fees.

The idea for the one-year training for the unsuccessful foreign graduates, by institutions approved by the Pakistan and Medical Dental Council (PMDC), was floated during NEB’s meeting held on June 25 at the UHS campus. The training was meant to prepare them for the next exam scheduled in October 2010.

In the exam held on June 20 only 18 out of the 514 candidates with foreign qualifications were successful.

Dr Muhammad Naeem, the PMDC registrar, told The Express Tribune that the NEB had called another meeting on July 31 to discuss the issue.

He believed that without the one-year training it would be very hard for the foreign graduates to clear the next licensing test.

The UHS director for communication said that medical colleges in the public sector were already facing problems like shortage of faculty, infrastructure etc.

“It would be impossible for them to accommodate the foreign graduates,” he said. He added that the only option for these graduates was private medical colleges.

Dr Iftikhar, who holds a degree in medicine from Dalian University, China and failed the NEB licensing exam, told The Express Tribune he had contacted a few public sector colleges but they had categorically refused to offer any assistance.

“I got in touch with the PMDC officials. They suggested that some private medical colleges like Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Sharif Medical College were willing to offer the training sessions; but they were asking for Rs0.5 million in fees,” he said.

Dr Rehman, another graduate from Dalian University who failed the NEB test, questioned that even if they spend Rs0.5 million, “who is to guarantee that we will pass the licensing exam next year?”

He mentioned that last year 59 out of the 526 foreign graduates were certified from the PMDC to practice after they passed the NEB licensing exam.

Those who failed the exams along with others who did not appear for it were unemployed, he added.

Dr Rehman criticised the authorities concerned for their ‘double standards’. “They condone quacks who have no professional training but they cannot let foreign-qualified doctors practise and help fellow citizens.”

He demanded that the government re-think its policy vis-à-vis the foreign-qualified doctors.

The NEB is a body constituted by the PMDC. It is responsible for arranging equivalence examination for those holding degrees in medicine and dentistry from abroad. They can only practice medicine after clearing the test.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2010.