Jaipur: "I am happy to inform that, after permitting the recognition of Post-graduate medical degrees of five English speaking countries for teaching as visiting faculty in India (Viz: UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). The Government of India is now considering to facilitate overseas citizens of India with foreign medical qualifications to both practice and teach in India", Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has expressed.

He was addressing NRIs present at the ongoing Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Jaipur. He further said, "I appreciate that many NRIs have been making valuable contribution by establishing dispensaries and hospitals in their ancestral towns and villages, by holding health camps and by donating funds, equipment and medicines etc."

"However I would like to point out that in the present health scenario, your engagement could be much larger and deeper to create a profound and lasting impact. We would like to pursue, with your active participation, a policy of brain gain. Therefore one of the most effective partnerships we hope to forge with you all today is in a variety of areas including medical research, academic collaboration, tele-medicine and skill building", Azad added.

He acknowledged with pride what the Indian Diaspora of over 30 million people has acquired an enviable reputation for innovative start-ups, successful businesses, ground breaking research leading to Noble prizes and countless distinguished contributions in diverse fields such as education, energy, environment, research, literature, business and industry.

However, to mention one area where the Indian Diaspora has earned a name for itself, it would certainly be medicine and related fields of healthcare. As we speak, there are 300,000 doctors of Indian origin working abroad out of which 40,000 work in the National Health System of the United Kingdom alone, forming the core of its service delivery. Indian medical professionals are an integral part of the healthcare delivery system the world over and have won laurels for their competence in various countries including the United States of America, the UK, Canada and Australia and Gulf Countries.

We have embarked on a major expansion in medical and nursing education to overcome the acute shortage of human resources in Health. We are proactively encouraging both public and private investment in new medical and nursing colleges and laying emphasis on hitherto unexplored area of paramedical education.

By far our greatest challenge is the creation of skilled human resources of all cadres. We require committed and high quality trainers and teachers, newer and more innovative training technologies to increase the pace of our training, training materials and tools. I call upon you to be a partner in building such institutions all over the country especially in the areas where the shortage of such professionals is most acute, Azad said.