Proper checks needed for foreign medical 'experts'

Many foreign medical experts are practicing in the country without proper medical backgrounds.

Member for Wabag, Dr Lino Tom, raised this issue today during the Parliament session.

Dr Tom said a lot of concern has been raised regarding the quality of work from foreign medical experts.

"It is a strict requirement elsewhere in the world for doctors to be accredited properly to be able to work in foreign countries."

He said currently the country has no medical board examination.

A board like that would have properly examined overseas trained medical professionals coming into the country, and conducted appropriate board accreditation examinations.

Dr Tom said the government must come up with a medical examination accredited program that will accredit foreign doctors before they start practicing medicine in the country.

"Can the health department start investigating all the foreign doctors practicing in the country because they are just presenting their credentials to the medical board and went straight to practicing without proper accreditation.

"We don't know whether they are real doctors or pretenders because with the advance of modern technology, people can produce documents that look genuine but in fact, they have no idea in medical practice."

Author: 
Freddy Mou