Health experts on Saturday demanded of the Sindh health department to revise the open merit admission policy in medical colleges of Sindh province to overcome doctors shortage in future.
Former president Pakistan Orthopedic Association (POA) Prof Dr Muhammad Parwez Anjum while talking to PPI said that there was ratio of 75 percent female and 25 percent male students in medical colleges of the province. He said around 50 percent female medical graduates left the healthcare profession after marriage creating shortage of doctors in the province.
He said other three provinces of Pakistan were also facing same situation; therefore, health high-ups should revise admission policy in medical colleges across Pakistan. He said: “I have come to know through sources that Punjab government has made a plan to re-introduce admission policy in medical colleges based on 60 percent males and 40 percent females to overcome doctors shortage in the province.”
Prof Anjum explained that 60 percent males and 40 percent females quota system existed in the country for admission in medical colleges before 1991-92 but later the then government had introduced the open merit policy in medical colleges on the demands of various organisations to abolish gender-based quota.
He said currently there was a ratio of 75 percent female and 25 percent male doctors in the country and Sindh province, but unfortunately 50 percent female doctors left the profession after marriage and for other reasons. He said if such situation persisted the province may face an acute shortage of doctors in near future.
Newly-elected President of Pakistan Orthopedic Association Prof Mohammad Amin Chinoy said the government had spent millions of rupees on medical education, training and skill development of lady doctors annually but quitting medical profession was putting bad impact on upcoming doctors and adversely affecting the national healthcare system.
He demanded of the provincial health department high-ups to revise the admission policy in medical colleges in the province to avoid shortage of doctors in future.