Indian physicians, trained abroad, forced to wait as COVID sweeps country

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
New Delhi: Some 90,000 Indian doctors armed with medical degrees from Russia, China and Ukraine are urging the federal government to put
them to operate in the battle versus COVID-19 instead of standing idly by, awaiting regional licences.Nowhere on the planet has actually
been hit harder by the pandemic than India, as a new variant of the virus fuelled a rise in infections that has actually risen to more than
400,000 daily, with more than 4,000 deaths a day, overwhelming the health system
Graduates from overseas medical schools consisting of Bangladesh, Philippines, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan need to pass local tests in India before
they are permitted to practise.Many have either cleared the exams and are awaiting their licences to be released, while others are to sit
for the test next month
We are not requiring that foreign graduates should be allowed to carry out surgical treatments, but they must be enabled to work as
frontline employees at such a critical juncture, stated Najeerul Ameen, president of All India Foreign Medical Graduates Association
Health specialists are alerting that India will quickly face a lack of medical staff in critical care systems as the 2nd wave takes its toll
Over the next couple of weeks we'll be seeing the death of clients in ICUs (extensive care systems) because there may be no nurses and
physicians to take care of them
This is going to occur, said Dr Devi Shetty, a popular cardiologist at a recent conference.Last week, overworked nurses and paramedics in
government medical facilities in the western state of Gujarat went on a strike requesting better salaries and insurance cover
Ameen stated countless the foreign medical graduates were standing idle despite being keen to work
The World Health Company recognises their degrees.Officials at the National Board of Examination (NBE) said the examinations were obligatory
because they had not been trained in India
They are not accustomed to Indian healthcare issues at all, said Pawanindra Lal, executive director of the NBE.The health ministry did not
respond to a Reuters ask for remark.