‘Racist’ system stops foreign consultants
Non-EU staff face training ban that is fuelling the shortage of doctors
TRAINING for doctors in Ireland is ‘institutionally racist’, claim junior medics from abroad who cannot get onto training schemes to become consultants.
The claims come as one in five consultant jobs go unfilled and medical training colleges call for a change in how places are allocated.
Dr Mohsin Kamal, who trained in Pakistan, has worked as a junior doctor in Irish hospitals since 2016 but cannot train to become a consultant, unlike his Irish and EU peers with the same experience in medicine.
‘It is institutional racism; it is getting worse all of the time,’ he said. ‘I have two children, both of whom are Irish. I don’t want to face my children and have to tell them we left Ireland without trying to solve this, I don’t think this is right.’
Professor Anthony Staines from
‘Isn’t 20 years enough time to train someone?’
DCU said hospitals are facing a ‘critical shortage’ of doctors.
One key problem is medical internships from some countries are accepted by the HSE when recruiting for junior doctor roles, but not always counted when applying for consultant training.
HSE figures show a shocking half of junior doctors working in Ireland are not on a training scheme, the majority from outside Europe.
Promises for new laws raised hopes which have been dashed by the lack of progress, doctors say. This issue was highlighted following the tragic death of Dr Syed Waqqar Ali Shah from Covid-19 while working at the Mater hospital. One of his colleagues, Dr Naveed Abbas, wrote a powerful letter to the Medical Independent, saying:
‘Dr Waqqar was in the same system for 20 years. It’s legitimate to ask why he never progressed to a consultant position. Isn’t 20 years enough time to train someone to that level? The truth is Ireland is working on an inherently racist system.’
One doctor working in children’s hospitals must choose between working without further training or migrating again. Dr Mohsin Kamal, from Pakistan, said: ‘We want to be accepted. I would just like to have the same training opportunities as the EU doctors. It is institutional racism; it is getting worse all of the time.’
A father of two Irish-born children, he wants to stay in Ireland but feels pushed out. Meanwhile, British hospitals do accept doctors in his situation, meaning Irish hospitals could lose out just as the winter approaches.
Prof. Staines said: ‘We are critically short of doctors in Ireland, we should welcome them with open arms. The NHS would accept them and it would be a great loss to Ireland.’
Dr Hammad Danish, a Pakistani member of the Irish Medical Organisation, said: ‘If you work in this system as a non-European, all you can progress to is a registrar level, then you are going nowhere.’
He said under the current legislation many migrant doctors cannot apply for training, while others like himself can apply but only if no Irish or EU doctor qualifies.
Dr Donal O’Hanlon, vice president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, condemned the practice this week, saying: ‘It is simply inefficient and counterproductive to have skilled medical staff unable to progress to consultant level, while thousands of patients sit on waiting lists for months to see a specialist.’
The Royal College of Physicians Ireland is the largest body responsible for doctor training. A spokeswoman said it follows HSE and government guidance on recruitment, adding: ‘RCPI recognises the enormous contribution made by non-EU doctors in Irish hospitals especially at this challenging time.’ They are working with the HSE’s National Doctor Training and Planning unit to change the system.
In January 2019, legislation to amend the Medical Practitioners Act was listed as ‘priority’. A Department of Health spokeswoman said it is expected to be before the Seanad shortly.
‘It is institutional racism and getting worse’