1 Dr. Khadija Bibi, 2 Dr. Farzeen Khan, 3Aqsa Mansoor Dar, 4 Hasan Raza , 5 Mohib Raza , 6Marwa Ali
1 Lecturer, Community & Preventive dentistry department, Peshawar dental college, Riphah International University, Islamabad.
2 Associate Professor, Community & Preventive dentistry department, Peshawar dental college, Riphah International University, Islamabad.
3 Frontier Medical College Abbottabad
4 PIMS
5 PIMS
6 PIMS
Abstract
Introduction: The international migration and emigration of doctors from underdeveloped and developing countries to more developed countries, a phenomenon known as “brain drain”, is a global public health problem. Causes inequities in provision of health care in the sense that it lacks the staff in health care facilities and also have limited services available in the countries from which doctors are migrating. Pakistan being the third leading country of IMGs for developed countries. Although migration of doctors has very significant impact on all source countries but for country like Pakistan where the projected shortfall of doctors in the year 2020 being 58,000 to 451,000 doctors will cause a serious problem Because of the this increase in international migration among medical graduates; the doctor patient ratio that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 6 patient per doctor per hour whereas it is about 1700 patients per doctor in Pakistan in 2012 survey which was published in express tribune.
Objectives: To determine the frequency of junior doctors (house officers) with intension to migrate abroad and its associated factors.
Study design: Cross sectional study
Setting: Tertiary care hospitals (Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex), Peshawar.
Methods: Using a self administered structured questionnaire, data was collected from 300 house officers of three Tertiary Care Hospitals (i.e. Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar. Personal data and reasons of migrating from Pakistan and also factors that might make change of mind of doctors to stay back in Pakistan were recorded. Also preferred destination and planning after migration and intention to come back to Pakistan was asked. House officers were directly interviewed by the researcher (myself). The duration of study was four months. SPSS version 24.0 was used for data analysis.
Results: Of 300 eligible respondents, all did responded, the response percentage being 100%. 85 % had intension to go abroad. The most preferred distention being USA (23%) followed by UK (21.3%). 12.3% % responded wished to return back directly to Pakistan but 28.7% % stated that they will never return back. 24% said that reason of going abroad is desire to settle abroad followed by the impact of residency on future career (21%). The most common reason because of which plan to go abroad may be cancelled is family ties (45.3%) and visa problems (18.3%).
Conclusions: A huge number of medical graduates are having intentions to migrate from Peshawar, Pakistan mainly to USA. Significant number also wished to stay either permanently or temporarily abroad. Motivating factors being the desire to settle abroad and impact of residency on future career.
KEY WORDS:
Hose officers, migration, emigration, abroad, medical graduates, future career, family ties.