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| February 17, 2006 | Friday | Muharram 18, 1427 |
MoU with Saudi deptt: explanation sought from CPSP
ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The federal government has sought explanation from the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) over an overseas agreement which in fact was adversely affecting Pakistani doctors seeking senior level employment in Saudi Arabia.
An official source told Dawn that the health ministry had taken the decision in response to a letter written to President Pervez Musharraf by Dr Samiullah Khan, General Secretary Pakistan Doctors Forum (PDF) in Saudi Arabia. The letter had invited the president’s attention towards an “unfair” and “discriminatory” condition, demoralizing Pakistani specialists working in the kingdom.
The letter was referred to the health ministry which then directed the CPSP to submit comments on the matter.
The source said without approval of the health ministry, the CPSP president in November 2001 had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Council for Health Specialities (SCHS). Under the MoU, it was agreed that FCPS doctors from Pakistan would need three-year post-fellowship teaching experience as assistant professor for appointment as consultant in the hospitals of Saudi Arabia.
Interestingly, the SCHS rules allow a doctor from countries like Egypt, Jordan, Syria or Algeria to be appointed as consultant with equivalent qualification but with just a three- year post-fellowship work experience in any general hospital.
On contrary, a Pakistani doctor must have a teaching experience of three years to obtain the same post which non-Pakistani doctors can get without such experience.
“It is ironic to note that creation of this problem is actually just like a self-inflicted injury on part of CPSP,” the letter said.
By agreeing to this rule, the CPSP has committed a blunder and degraded its own qualifications in the kingdom, the letter deplored.
As a result, more than 95 per cent of senior Pakistani doctors cannot work as consultants in Saudi Arabia because of lack of teaching experience.
By citing the same rule, it said, the SCHS had made teaching experience mandatory for consultant registration for all major Pakistani qualifications including Doctor in Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS).
“Nowhere in the world, work experience as an assistant professor (which is an academic post) is considered a prerequisite to be eligible to work as a consultant (a clinical post),” the letter said, adding the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom was granting registration in some specialities to Pakistani FCPS doctors as assistant professor without requirement of work experience.
“It is ironic that the Pakistani qualified doctor is eligible to work as a consultant in the UK but not recognized for the same post in Saudi Arabia,” the letter said.
The issue was also brought to the notice of the CPSP president, but probably it was difficult for him to undo something he himself agreed to, said the letter.
The PDF has suggested to the government to form a committee comprising Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan, representatives of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia to probe into the matter.
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