India to recognise foreign degrees in medicine: Anbumani

Bangalore, Mar 15 (UNI) India has taken an unilateral decision to recognise foreign medical degrees in five English speaking countries to augment the 'Health Human Resources' in the country, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss said today.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of 14th Convocation of the National Board Examination (NBE) here, he said initially India decided to recognise PG degrees offered by the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Similar recognition will be extended soon to medical degrees of other countries including Singapore.

Dr Ramadoss said the Union Government would take up the matter of seeking reciprocal gesture for recognising Indian Medical degrees with the UK, US and other countries.

Dismissing apprehensions by the Indian Medical Associations (IMA) and other bodies against the government's decision on allowing foreign medical professionals to practise in India, Dr Anbumani shot back ''No NGO's including the IMA, should come in the process of evolving government's policies,'' he said.

Dr Ramadoss said the Centre had entered into an MoU with the IMA to assist a national programme intending to fight against tuberculosis in which over 50,000 private practitioners were expected to lend a helping hand.

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