The plight of local medical graduates

THE EDITOR: Fascinating article from Dr Taureef Mohammed, a University of the West Indies graduate and a geriatric medical fellow at Western University, Canada, in his column on Monday.

Mohammed describes the present-day problems regarding lucrative employment for medical graduates in TT.

Over the years we appear to have accumulated too many doctors with too few avenues for gainful employment. In a country of only 1.4 or so million people, we just do not have enough patients to share.

Yes, the very brightest of our brightest should be able to study whatever they wish. Yes, the Government should assist all scholarship winners.

People speak of "brain drains." They do not talk about the fact that the rewards of free TT university education are now being stymied by the very size of our population. It is no longer about not having sufficient staff.

Frankly speaking, must the Government, any government, use taxpayers' money to facilitate employment in another country?

Even if specialist qualifications are earned abroad, where do we place graduates if we do not have a plethora of specialist hospitals in TT as happens out there in the First World?

At what point do we agree to drastically reduce applications for studying medicine? Will the Government be accused of selfishness to our best and brightest students?

When do we admit that it is grossly unfair to have hundreds of over-qualified, frustrated young citizens sitting at home?

TT has now progressed to having sufficient free government hospitals. They are in competition with our few private hospitals.

Private hospitals in TT have to charge exorbitant fees to keep afloat. The Government can of course pay for patients to be treated privately, if required. So what?

It does not remove the glaring fact that we cannot continue paying very high training fees stretched over six years for an unending number of medical students.

Consider the unrealistic finances involved.

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin