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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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India to recognise foreign medical degrees

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday decided to recognise postgraduate medical degrees being awarded in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

However, these degrees will be recognised on condition that they are recognised in the country from where it is obtained for enrolment of medical practitioners.

A notification to this effect was issued on March 10 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

India already recognises medical degrees of Myanmar, Italy, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Japan, and Hong Kong.

The government decision is intended to overcome the shortage of medical practitioners in the country. According to the Medical Council of India (MCI), the total number of registered allopathic doctors in the country is 6,83,582 with the population ratio working out to 1:1634. In addition, there are more than 6 lakh practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy in the country.

There are 271 medical colleges in the country, out of which 138 are in the government sector and the remaining 133 in the private sector. The MBBS students’ intake capacity of these colleges is about 31,172 and the number of seats available in various post-graduate medical courses is approximately 11,005 annually.

The Centre has decided to give recognition to acclaimed postgraduate medical degrees awarded in English speaking countries. This will not only facilitate Indian students to pursue their PG medical studies in these foreign countries but will also make them eligible to practise medicine in specialised fields back in India. In addition, there are many Indian citizens who are living abroad, possessing these foreign postgraduate medical degrees and are willing to return to India. Recognition of these degrees has now cleared the way for these Indians to come back and pursue their medical profession.

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