KOCHI: Trained nurses migrating to countries such as the UK, the US, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and West Asia has not been a new trend. Every year thousands of nursing pass-outs move abroad through private or government agencies. Amid this phenomenon, however, the fact that an increasing number of young doctors have also been making the move in search of greener pastures has gone unnoticed.
A recent survey by the agency that conducts the Occupational English Test (OET) found that of the thousands of applicants, around 15% are doctors. The trend has reached a point where the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has set up a platform that helps doctors find jobs not only in the domestic market but also abroad.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Joseph Benaven, chairman of the Employment and Career Facilitation Bureau, said, “The increasing trend among young doctors seeking jobs in hospitals abroad is due to various reasons. The healthcare scenario in India is facing many issues. Unlike in the past, doctors today are being subjected to violence and abuse. Moreover, employment opportunities in the country are dwindling.”
“Every year around two lakh doctors emerge form medical colleges not only in India but also from countries such as Ukraine, Russia and China, to name a few. Recently, the prime minister announced that 75,000 more MBBS seats would added in the next couple of years! The WHO recommends a doctor for every 1,000 population. In Kerala, we have one doctor for 500 people. But, the scenario is different in rural areas where young doctors are not willing to work.”
According to Dr Benaven, the central government is looking to fill this gap in rural areas by increasing the seats.
“The promise of better pay and quality of life abroad is enticing young doctors,” said Dr Abraham Varghese, former IMA state president, adding that another factor is that the postgraduate degree obtained in India is not recognised in many western countries. “So many MBBS pass-outs move abroad for higher studies and get employed in hospitals there,” he pointed out.
Their main aim is to settle abroad, he noted. “Income is one of the reasons. Another is career growth, said Dr Abraham. “Government policies are also not favourable for those in the medical field.”
However, not all young doctors looking to go abroad are successful. “Forget abroad, they are finding it difficult to get good-paying jobs in the domestic market. All this prompted us to come up with the platform which went live last month. We have developed a system on the lines of job portals by connecting with all hospitals in the country. As for the overseas service, we are in discussions with American agencies, the National Health Services (NHS) in the UK and even with African countries to place doctors from India,” said Dr Benaven.
However, the NHS is tightening up and recruiting strictly as per demand, he added. “The one speciality that, however, is in demand in the UK is psychiatry. Those who go through proper channels get direct registration. Super specialities like gastroenterology are also in demand,” Dr Benaven said.