Brain drain: Gold medalist or not, new doctors don’t want to work in small cities

Degrees conferred upon 429 MBBS and 82 BDS students.

HYDERABAD:

Even though small cities in Sindh’s countryside continue to battle a shortage of healthcare services, fresh medical graduates say they do not want to work in these settings.

“There is no incentive to work here,” said Dr Misba Majeed Arain on the sidelines of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) convocation on Saturday. She added that any young graduate who wanted to excel in their field would want to learn from successful and experienced doctors - who are all located in the cities.

A sobering thought indeed on the future of healthcare and brain drain. If a fresh MBBS graduate like Arain thinks like this (she was awarded two gold medals) one can only imagine how her peers look at the situation. At least for now, Arain will be in Karachi where she aims to specialise in neurophysiology and is pursuing a fellowship at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan. At the ceremony many others like Arain had a chance to celebrate the end of years of hard work. Chief guest Justice Amir Hani Muslim and vice chancellor Dr Noshad Ahmed Shaikh conferred degrees to 429 MBBS and 82 BDS students, 138 postgraduates and 98 nursing students. The vice-chancellor proudly remarked that the Higher Education Commission had named LUMHS as the best public sector medical university.

Dr Sonia Kumari received six medals and hopes to specialise in oral and maxillofacial surgery. She wants to work in government hospitals and help the poor, Kumari says that she would not want to work in a small city or village because after spending years studying in the city, most students and their families settle there.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2011.