The Punjab government has made a decision to adopt a transparent and merit-based system for house jobs and postgraduate training of foreign medical graduates in the province.
Punjab Health Department has set up a 09-member committee to look at existing procedures and suggest ways to make the induction process for foreign medical graduates fair, transparent and uniform.
The members of the committee include vice-chancellors of medical universities and principals of medical colleges all over Punjab.
It will review the existing process of entry for foreign medical graduates to house posts and postgraduate programs and highlight some of the areas that need improvement.
A major function of the committee will be to review the processes for verifying the qualifications of foreign medical graduates (FMPGs), their degrees, registration, licences and eligibility.
The panel will also consider deficiencies in the induction process at an administrative and/or legal level which may impact on the identification and placement of suitable candidates.
If the changes are approved, the committee will suggest a uniform procedure for processing applications, verifying foreign doctors’ credentials, assessing their merit, and assigning them training posts in the country.
The proposed framework is to provide a uniform system of house jobs and postgraduate training in Punjab.
It is also hoped to contribute to the inconsistencies in the current arrangements and enhance oversight of the induction process.
The review follows the provincial health authorities’ desire to have a clear set of criteria for judging the candidates and having a transparent and merit-based procedure for allocating training opportunities.
The committee of nine members has been asked to submit its recommendations to Punjab Health Department in 10 days.
The proposals it will make will be directed at the process of appointing house doctors and postgraduate training for overseas doctors.
The recommendations are likely to serve as a guide for further decisions regarding reform of the induction system and to create a standardized process for applicants throughout the province.