This was stated by Dr Zaffar Iqbal, a member of the 17,000-member strong Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA).
Speaking to The Express Tribune on the sidelines of an event organised by APPNA at the Rayburn House Office Building, Dr Iqbal said numerous young physicians applying for visas to work in the US are facing delays or are being rejected by the US embassy and consulates.
The event, addressed to Congressmen, was organised to highlight issues faced by Pakistani physicians applying for visas to work in the US.
“They don’t get their visas on time, and hence can’t join residencies that they’ve been offered,” Dr Iqbal said, while adding that hospitals then become reluctant to offer residencies to Pakistani physicians.
He said that due to less Pakistanis being given visas, the number of Indian doctors coming to the US to work has more than doubled in the past few years.
President of APPNA Dr Manzoor Tariq said that they had held meetings with the US State Department and Homeland Security to urge them to facilitate the process.
Looking at APPNA posters highlighting statistics of the decrease in Pakistani physicians coming to the US, APPNA said that a majority of Pakistani doctors work in rural areas in the US
and provide a vital service to the country.
Addressing the event, Congressman Dennis J Kucinich from Ohio said, “I’m aware of the complexities that surround US-Pakistan relations, but you are our brothers and sisters, and we need to help facilitate those who want to take care of people here”.
On US-Pakistan relations, he said it was a critical issue. “We need to apologise to the people of Pakistan, Nato must pay reparations to the families of the soldiers.”
Paying tribute to the Pakistani community in her district of Nevada, Congresswoman Birkley added that the US was facing a shortage of medical professionals, and offered her support to the APPNA to push for more visas for Pakistani doctors. Other members of Congress who attended the event and lent support to APPNA included Senator Bob Casey, Claire McCaskill, Congressman Guthrie and others.
Addressing the event, Tim Lenderking, the head of the Pakistan desk at the State Department, said that it was important to talk to the Embassy. “Pakistan has done a great job in contributing to healthcare in the United States, and we want to support that.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2011.
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