Singapore plans to hire 180 doctors from India in three years

Singapore is planning to hire 180 doctors from India in the next three years. A tender that is set to close on October 10 states that they will hire 60 medical officers yearly from 2022 to 2024. There is also a possibility of an extension to 2025.

Singapore has been recruiting doctors from other countries in order to address their ‘heavy workload’ and to supplement their healthcare capacity needs, said MOH Holdings (MOHH), a company of Singapore’s public healthcare institutions. 

The company said that it was hiring doctors from Australia and Britain too. The applicants have to be graduates from medical schools listed in the Medical Registration Act. 

These doctors hired from other countries will be granted conditional registration for clinical practice under strict supervision. "Priority is given to locals who graduate from medical schools recognised by the Singapore Medical Council," the company said.

This development has not gone down well with many netizens. Many questioned the decision to “import” doctors, while some raised concerns about fake certification. Some asked why would SIngapore not simply increase the intake of students in its medical schools. 

The medical fraternity also questioned the move. Associate Professor Jeremy Lim from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, in a recent social media post, said moves like this create concerns that "the rich world hires away scarce resources from less well-staffed countries".

MOHH clarified its stance by saying that it hires about 700 junior doctors every year, our of which 90 per cent are Singapore residents, who were either trained in its medical schools or graduated from recognised overseas medical schools. 

Medical schools in Singapore have already increased their combined intake by 45 per cent from 350 to 510 from 2012 to 2019.

(With PTI inputs)

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