Signs of slow isolation? Saudi Arabia sacks Pakistani MS, MD doctors; UAE, Bahrain and Qatar follow

New Delhi, August 8: While Pakistan had a laid-back attitude about its relations with Saudi Arabia, it’s time for the neighbouring country to wake up from its illusionary world. Pakistan has been already suffering from a huge shock of India’s unprecedented move on J&K and in a move that is likely to give a huge blow to remittances received by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has de-recognised postgraduate medical degrees from Pakistan.

 

The move has been followed by other gulf countries and the degree that has been reported to be de-recognised are the Master of Surgery (MS) and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees. The other Gulf countries which have moved to reject these degrees from Pakistan are the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia has begun sacking large numbers of Pakistani doctors and many have been told to await deportation back to Pakistan.

Interestingly, the same post-graduate degrees from India, Egypt, Sudan and Bangladesh are all recognised by Saudi Arabia.

The reports in the media suggest that some in Pakistan have blamed the country’s own College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) for the setback. CPSP is a regulatory institute for post-graduate medical education in Pakistan.

Association of University Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan spokesperson, Dr Asad Noor Mirza claimed that CPSP delegations to Saudi Arabia had persuaded the latter’s medical regulatory body Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) to only allow Pakistani doctors with the Fellow of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (FCPS) diploma to work there.

CPSP officials reportedly told SCHS that apart from FCPS, there was no training based post-graduate medical course in Pakistan apart from FCPS. CPSP would stand to benefit from other post-graduate degrees being de-recognised since it has a monopoly on FCPS.