There has been what we often call brain drain in the country, and the medical profession is no exception when we talk of our talent moving abroad in search of greener pastures. It is considered a million-dollar achievement in the circle of medical doctors if someone manages to get the medical licence of the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia.
These licensing examinations take precious time and resources. Besides, when these talented Pakistani doctors move abroad, they have to leave their parents alone back in the country which takes its own emotional toll. Despite all this, many are willing to try out this route to success. There are reasons why medical doctors opt for moving abroad that we must acknowledge.
Till about a decade ago, things were different because there was a lot of space for doctors to make a decent living in Pakistan. The medical field was not that saturated. There was a limited number of private medical colleges.
Saturation, however, is not the major reason for doctors to move abroad, as other fields also happen to be more or less saturated. The main reasons are financial instability, poor security of doctors in hospitals, and the fear of losing self-respect in a professional setting.
The salary difference of a medical officer in 2015 and in 2025 is not more than Rs30,000; an increment of Rs3,000 per year. This is just not enough to keep the competent doctors interested. Besides, it is not rare to come across some report about random people making videos and beating up doctors, considering them soft targets.
Instead of filing a complaint against a doctor for possible dereliction of duty, people tend to take law into their own hands. Doctors today fear for their lives in such a scenario.
As for the matter of self-respect, it is at stake every time some government functionary visits a hospital. The ministers disrespect highly qualified doctors in front of cameras as a publicity stunt. Instead of ordering an investigation into an issue, government officials, posing as ‘messiahs’, put doctors to the sword.
Making matters worse is the fact that healthcare commissions are unable to stop quackery in the country. Whenever a qualified doctor tries to set up a clinic, patient flow is minimal as the market is captured by the quacks.
The government needs to take immediate action against quacks to make space for certified, licensed young doctors. Merely criticising the doctors for moving out in search of money will do us no good. If we want to retain our precious human resource, we need to do something practical.
KHUZAIMA BHATTI
KASUR
