35% female doctors do not practice after medical education: Prof  Siddiqui

KARACHI: Pakistan’s healthcare system is facing an urgent crisis, including the growing exodus of doctors, a stark gender gap in the medical workforce, and the pressing need for digitalisation, among other issues.

These will be discussed during the upcoming 27th Biennial Convention of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), starting on September 21st, 2024, in Karachi.

Speaking ahead of the PIMA Biennial Convention, newly-elected PIMA President Professor Dr Atif Hafeez Siddiqui, along with senior PIMA members.

Speaking at a news conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), Prof Atif Siddiqui pointed out that 35% of female doctors in Pakistan do not practice after completing their medical education, primarily due to a lack of support infrastructure. Of the remaining 65% of practising female doctors, only 20-25% work full-time.

“This is a significant gap that needs to be addressed. We must rethink how to engage these women, possibly through avenues like telemedicine, which was successfully implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.

On the issue of doctor migration, Prof. Siddiqui revealed that 40-50% of male medical graduates express a desire to leave Pakistan and work abroad, with 25-30% already serving in foreign countries. He called the situation “alarming” and noted that many newly graduated doctors feel underpaid and undervalued, exacerbating the talent drain.

Prof. Saad Khalid Niaz, former caretaker health minister of Sindh, further added that health insurance schemes, already implemented in other provinces, should be introduced in Sindh. “Billions are distributed to various health institutions, but systemic inefficiencies, particularly within the Secretariat, undermine the profession,” he said, stressing that digital reforms could help reduce these inefficiencies.

The PIMA leadership also highlighted issues in the pharmacy sector, calling for reforms similar to those in Punjab, where drug stores and pharmacies are separated, and only qualified pharmacists are allowed to dispense medicines.

The Biennial PIMA Convention, scheduled for 21-22 September 2024, in Karachi Expo, is set to address these urgent issues.

The convention will feature 15 scientific sessions covering topics such as science, the physician-pharmaceutical industry relationship, women’s health, and artificial intelligence. Pre-convention workshops are already taking place in six cities, focusing on various medical subjects.

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Prof Dr. Abdullah Muttaqi underscored that the convention would also push for a uniform policy for laboratories across the country, a priority issue for PIMA.