KARACHI: The proposed ban on the emigration of doctors from the country has not been given effect as yet, and doctors are leaving the country without obtaining “no-objection certificates”. The decision to ban the emigration of doctors was taken at the Governors’ conference in April last. The Immigration authorities have not been officially notified to stop the doctors from leaving the country. They said the notification had to be communicated to them officially before they could bring it into force.

Inquiries revealed that all the passengers leaving the country are required to fill up cards in which, among other things, they are to state their profession. Some who had sta­ted their profession as medical practice were not stopped. The Governors’ Confer­ence had tak­en a decision to allow only those doctors to go abroad for whom the Government itself made arrangements with foreign countries. The conference had taken the decision in view of the acute shortage of doctors in the country.

The Pakistan Medical Association, it may be recalled, had expressed its serious concern over the decision of the Government. It had su­­ggested that more jobs should be created before banning the doctors’ exit.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023