Abolition of trainee registrar posts in Pakistan sparks doctors’ discontent — Dawn
In Peshawar, Pakistan, the Medical Teaching Institutions Policy Board (MTI-Policy Board) decided to abolish trainee registrar posts — doctors undergoing registrar-level training. The decision has caused discontent among medical professionals, who say it could affect patient care at teaching hospitals, Dawn reports.
The board ordered all medical teaching institutions to withdraw advertisements for recruitment to these posts. Employees already holding such positions must be informed of their abolition; they may continue working for a maximum of three months if such a period remains under their original contract and complies with its legal terms.
Board’s position
MTI-Policy Board Chairman Professor Nausherwan Burki said the decision was linked to the requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for candidates for teaching positions. According to him, doctors who have passed FCPS examinations have access to experiential registrar (ER) posts, created to gain the required two years of experience in their specialty.
The board’s statement noted that such positions allow young doctors to meet PMDC requirements for employment in teaching posts. ERs’ progress is to be reviewed after one year, and if adequate progress is lacking, corrective measures may be taken or the employee may be dismissed in accordance with the contract terms.
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Burki also said that trainee registrar posts had no clearly defined objectives and did not require an FCPS qualification. In his view, they effectively amounted to a paid extension of the three-year training of trainee medical officers — doctors undergoing specialized training — for those who had not passed the FCPS examination.
Reaction of doctors’ associations
The Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) called for the decision to be withdrawn, arguing that it would disrupt patient care at teaching hospitals. The association stressed that dozens of trainee registrars at MTI institutions work in various specialties and play an important role in patient care.
The Young Doctors Association (YDA) also condemned the abolition of the posts. It said that thousands of medical professionals are already unemployed, while in some hospitals trainee registrars perform shifts where there are no trainee medical officers.
