SCFHS’s decision against Pakistani doctors draws flak from NA

National Assembly's Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has strongly condemned the decision of Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) of terminating services of Pakistani doctors, holding MS/MD degree, working in Saudi Arabia. Presiding over the fifth meeting of the committee, its chairman Khalid Hussain Magsi from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) termed the reports of sacking of Pakistani doctors by the SCFHS as 'deeply disturbing and unnerving.'

"This is a very worrisome development. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have traditionally enjoyed very close and cordial ties. Such kind of moves can potentially affect this relationship," Magsi said. "Millions of Pakistanis are working in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. They contribute significantly to the economies of the host countries by providing them skilled manpower. Sacking the members of Pakistani community on evasive pretexts would only prove counterproductive and adversely influence the mutual ties between Pakistan and these countries," he remarked.

Earlier this month, the reports surfaced that Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain rejected Pakistan's MS and MD degrees programmes, a move that has reportedly rendered hundreds of Pakistani physicians in these countries jobless.

The NA health panel observed that SCFHS proceeded to sack Pakistani doctors while acting on a fake report, which suggested that Pakistani physicians lacked essential training components as they were not covered in their degree programmes. The committee asked the government authorities to hold an enquiry on the issue and submit its report to the committee.