Pak-migrant Hindu docs ask govt to let them join India’s coronavirus fight

A group of migrated Pakistani Hindu doctors with MBBS degrees from different medical colleges from the neighbouring country have sought permission from the Indian government to join the medical workforce here amid the COVID-19 crisis.

These doctors are not allowed to practice in India until they pass a bridge exam by the Medical Council of India (MCI), which is mandatory for all doctors with overseas degrees to pass to practice in India.

But considering the spread of the pandemic, these doctors have sought relaxation in this condition and have appealed to the government to grant them the permission to join India's anti-pandemic battle.

M L Jangid, who had migrated to India over 20 years ago, has an MBBS degree from Sindh Medical College, Karachi.

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But in absence of the Medical Council of India’s permission to take the mandatory examination, which is open only for Indian citizens having MBBS degrees from abroad, he and 300-odd others like him are not able to practice in India, he said.

“If the government of India, takes up the matter seriously and gives permission to us as qualified medical doctors, we can be of some help in dealing with this COVID-19 pandemic,” Jangid said.

Another doctor, Anila Sharda, who had migrated to India in 2007, has a medical degree from a medical college of Hyderabad in Pakistan.

“After coming to India, it takes us at least 11 years to obtain the citizenship of India and after that, we are supposed to appear in an examination by MCI to attain the qualification to practice in India, which is again a herculean task. Most of us could not appear in this exam due to age and other factors,” said Sharda.

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Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangthan, has also written to the government, drawing its attention to this group of 300-plus MBBS doctors belonging to Pak Hindu refugee families, who reached India after 2000.

“We have already taken up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Law and Justice during the past few years,” said Sodha.

But the final step leading to allowing them to practice in India is yet to be taken. Sodha said all the stakeholders are convinced in principle but a final decision on permission to these doctors to practice in India is yet to come out.

“If the timely permission is granted to these Pak Hindu refugee doctors in this time of crisis, with the qualification and experience, they could prove to be an asset to their Indian fraternity, waging a relentless battle to save lives” said Sodha.