MBBS from foreign countries not recognised

Updated on: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, the government has recognised MD degrees granted by five English speaking countries like US, Canada and UK to doctors of Indian origin but no foreign MBBS degrees is recognised in India. He was replying during question hour in Rajya Sabha.

Indian students getting medical degrees from countries like Russia, China and Bangladesh cannot automatically practice.Foreign-degree holders have to clear a screening test held by National Board of Examination.

However, he said, MD degrees granted by five English speaking countries of US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand to doctors of Indian origin have been recognised.

Azad said 4,211 foreign degree holders appeared in the screening test in 2008, out of which only 1,326 passed. In the following year, 1,094 out of 6,170 who appeared passed. Of the 10,155 students appearing in the screening test in 2010, 2,680 passed while in 2011, 3,576 students out of 13,270 who took the test passed.

"Shortage of doctors cannot be met unless we have more medical colleges," he said. The government has rationalised land requirement for setting up of such colleges.

While land requirement has been brought down to 10 acres in metros from 25 acres, infrastructure including bed-capacity has been reduced.

Because of these relaxations, 46 new medical colleges have been set up in the country during the last three years. The cap on student intake has been raised to 250 per session from previous 150 students. Also, teacher-student ratio in certain Post-Graduate courses has been relaxed to 1:2 and in some cases to 1:3.

Stating that augmentation of human resources was a thrust area under National Rural Health Mission, Azad said 2,914 specialists, 8,722 doctors, 10,995 Ayush doctors and 33,411 staff nurses have been engaged on contractual basis in rural areas.

MBBS from foreign countries not recognised

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