ISLAMABAD: After a long wait of almost eight years, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Gulf have again recognised the century-old postgraduate degree programme of Pakistan — MS (Master of Surgery) and MD (Doctor of Medicine) — and included it in the eligibility list of the highest paid tier.

The development has become possible because of the efforts of the Association of University Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (AUPSP) which advocated for the recognition of Pakistani medical degrees in the Gulf region. The efforts culminated in a high-level delegation’s visit to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) in Riyadh, resulting in the reinstatement of the MD and MS programme in the senior registrar category.

The delegation presented extensive documentation and evidence to the SCFHS, which recognised the validity of the degrees. This decision has reversed the de-listing of MS, MD, and MDS degrees that occurred in 2017, a move that had caused a shockwave across the Gulf and was seen as a deliberate undermining of Pakistan’s public sector clinical degrees which affected over 4,000 doctors in Saudi Arabia and Gulf region.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) also played a pivotal role in the achievement, with its Chairman and Director General of Quality Assurance working to uplift the national product abroad.

Riyadh de-listed these postgraduate degrees in 2017

The Pakistani embassy in Riyadh, initially unaware of the issue, later provided substantial support, said the statement.

AUPSP representative Dr Asad Noor Mirza, while talking to Dawn, said that the development was a testament to the persistent efforts of AUPSP and its commitment to enhancing the reputation of Pakistan’s medical education on an international level.

“The association continues to work towards the establishment of the National Inter University Medical Board, aiming to centralise clinical education and align it with international standards. The decision will enable the specialists and consultant doctors from Pakistan to serve in the best tiers of doctors in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“Under the directions of the then education minister Rana Tanveer, a high-level delegation…was invited by the SCFHS to Riyadh,” he said.

In 2017, rejecting Pakistan’s MS/MD degree, the Saudi health ministry claimed it lacked a structured training programme, a mandatory requirement to hire medics against important positions.

After the Saudi move, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also took similar steps. Most of the affected doctors were hired by a team of the Saudi health ministry in 2016 when it conducted interviews in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad after inviting applications online. The decision had brought embarrassment for doctors since the same degree programme offered by India, Egypt, Sudan, and Bangladesh was acceptable in Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2024