I would like to highlight the plight of the Cuban Medical Graduates, who were sent by HEC on Scholarship with a NOC from PMDC, but on their return it was found that PMDC doesn’t recognize their degrees as per the new law.
About 300 of 1,000 Pakistani students, who were studying general comprehensive medicine on HEC (Higher Education Commission) scholarships in Cuba, are facing financial constraints along with huge depression because of joblessness despite completing six-year MD (Doctor in Medicine) degree.
After the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, Cuba had not only sent 2,500 medical and paramedical staff to take part in relief efforts, it had also offered scholarships for 1,000 students from across Pakistan, especially from northern areas, which were affected by the earthquake, to study medicine in world renowned Cuban institutions.
The scholars were expected to serve their country after completing their studies as signed in an agreement with HEC of five years of service in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan accepted this generous offer and the HEC invited applications from talented students through advertisements. After thorough procedures, the first batch consisting of 300 students was selected for their admissions to Cuban institutions purely on merit in 2007. Later, another 700 or so students were sent to Cuba in different batches.
These medical students started facing difficulties when they started returning early this year. The first hurdle they met with, was how to get a practice license because under the latest law; they had to take a National Examination Board (NEB) test conducted by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for this purpose, which in itself is a lengthy process.
It is compulsory for every Pakistani medical student, who has graduated from any other country, to appear in the NEB test in order to get the Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) certificate if he or she wants to start medical practice in Pakistan.
The objective of the scholarship programme was to train 1,000 students in medicine in such a way that they could serve their own people immediately after completion of their studies and training.
It is to inform you that despite clearing the final comprehensive Cuban State Exam after a year training in their teaching hospitals, now the graduates are being asked to appear in the NEB test conducted by the PMDC in order to become an Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) which is a lengthy and time consuming process.
As we have studied in a HEC-supervised scholarship project; therefore, it is unfair to treat us like other Pakistani medical graduates of foreign institutions, which normally did not follow any merit-based selection criterion neither are supervised regularly throughout their course, nor their institutes are registered and recognized by WHO and other medical organizations.. Our parents had made numerable sacrifices and efforts at various levels throughout this period to help us complete our studies. It is therefore not a matter concerning 1,000 individuals only; rather it is a matter concerning 1,000 families.
We have tried to raise the issue at different levels and we have received several responses too, but none of them was helpful in any aspect. That is disappointing day by day these graduates which is resulting to seek jobs and further study options outside Pakistan, which is surely a "BRAIN DRAIN" and a failure for this worthy project to bring finely trained doctors to serve and improve health services and health system in Pakistan.
Now we seek your help to raise our issue with concerned corners and I know you can do this very well due to your prestigious journalistic and intellectual services and years of hard work to earn this repute. We would be very much obliged to you for helping us in this matter.
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