Breaking News-FOREIGN PG DEGREES RECOGNIZED

Breaking News-FOREIGN PG DEGREES RECOGNIZED
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=36675

"Tuesday, March 18, 2008- Press Release- Government of India

RECOGNITION GIVEN TO MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS GRANTED BY MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE INDIA

The Union Government, exercising powers conferred upon it by the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, has recognized Post Graduate medical qualifications being awarded in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States of America, with the condition that these degrees should be recognized in the respective country for enrolment of medical practitioners in the concerned specialties. This recognition has been notified in the Official Gazette on 10th March 2008.

Background
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has been operationalized with the main aim of providing accessible and reliable primary healthcare facilities especially to the poor and the vulnerable sections of the population. However, the vast stretches of the countryside are not well equipped with health facilities, doctors and para medical staff, creating serious imbalances in the health sector. As per Medical Council of India (MCI), the total number of registered allopathic doctors in the country is 6,83,582. Thus, the allopathic doctor – population ratio works out to 1:1634. In addition, there are more than 6 lakh practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy in the country. Taking all these numbers together, the doctor – population ratio comes to 1:870.

There are 271 medical colleges in the country, out of which 138 are in the Government sector and remaining 133 in the private sector. The MBBS students intake capacity of these medical colleges is about 31,172 and the number of seats available in various Post Graduate medical courses is approximately 11,005 annually
It is clear from the above statistics that the country is in dire need of medical specialists to cater to the increasing demands of public healthcare in rural and urban areas. The various strategies adopted to overcome this problem includes augmenting the capacity of existing medical institutions and encouraging setting up of new medical colleges and introduction of new Post Graduate courses. As increasing the intake capacity and availability of medical specialists cannot be achieved immediately, the Union Government has now decided to give recognition to acclaimed Post Graduate medical degrees awarded in English speaking countries. This recognition would not only facilitate Indian students to pursue their Post Graduate medical studies in these foreign countries but will also make them eligible to practice medicine in specialized fields back in India. In addition, there are many Indian citizens who are living abroad, possessing these foreign Post Graduate medical degrees and are willing to return to India. Recognition of these degrees has now cleared the way for these Indian citizens to come back to India and pursue their medical profession. Non Resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India in medical teaching profession can also come on sabbatical or as visiting faculty in medical colleges in India.



A copy of the notification issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on this subject can be seen in the Annexure.

KR/SK/PG Medical degrees - 277

ANNEXURE



(TO BE PUBLISHED IN PART II SECTION 3, SUB SECTION (II) OF THE GAZETTE OF INDIA Extraordinary)



Government of India

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

(Department of Health & Family Welfare)

New Delhi

Dated 7th March, 2008S.O. In exercise of the powers conferred by sub section 4 of the Section 13 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), the Central Government, after consultation with the Medical Council of India, hereby makes following further amendments in Part II of the Third Schedule to the said Act, namely: -



In the said Schedule under the heading “Part II RECOGNIZED MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS GRANTED BY MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE INDIA NOT INCLUDED IN THE SECOND SCHEDULE”, after the entries relating to the qualification Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) in Medical Sciences (Dagastan Medical Institute), U.S.S.R.* and below the explanation of the asterisk (*), the following shall be added, namely:



“All post graduate medical qualifications awarded in Australia and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;



All post graduate medical qualifications awarded in Canada and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

All post graduate medical qualifications awarded in New Zealand and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

All post graduate medical qualifications awarded in United Kingdom and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;

All post graduate medical qualifications awarded in United States of America and recognized for enrolment as medical practitioners in the concerned specialties in that country;


No. V.11025/11/2007-ME-P-I (Pt.)

(Debasish Panda)

Joint Secretary to the Government of India .