National Medical Commission allows persecuted minorities from Pakistan to practice medicine after exam

Opening its doors to persecuted minorities who fled Pakistan to practice medicine in India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Saturday allowed permanent registration for them after an examination. All doctors have to be registered with their respective state commissions to practice anywhere in the country, the NMC stated.

This will be applicable only for people who fled Pakistan and obtained citizenship in India on or before December 31, 2014. “The applicant must possess a valid medical qualification and had been practicing medicine in Pakistan prior to his/her migration to India,” the notification by the undergraduate medical education board, under the apex regulator NMC, said.

All such people have been given time until September 5 to fill online applications on the NMC website. As per the notification, the applications will be scrutinised by the commission “in consultation with the agencies/departments” concerned and only those shortlisted will be allowed to appear in the examination. The examination will be conducted “by the commission or any agency authorised by the commission,” the notification said.

Applicants who clear the exam will be given permanent registration to practice medicine.

In June, NMC had set up a group of experts to frame guidelines for a proposed test to enable such medical graduates to practice in India.

Earlier this year, the medical education regulator warned Indian students against travelling to Pakistan to study medical or dental courses, stating that such students will not be eligible to appear for the screening test that medical graduates from other countries have to undergo to get registration in India. The notification did make an exception for migrants and their children who have already acquired their medical degrees in Pakistan after getting security clearance from the Home Ministry.

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