A startling revelation emerged during a recent meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Health, where it was disclosed that nearly 50 to 60 percent of doctors trained in Pakistan are choosing to work abroad instead of serving within the country.
Senator Anusha Rehman informed the committee that a significant portion of medical graduates prefer to seek employment opportunities overseas due to limited career prospects, wage disparities, and inadequate working conditions in Pakistan. She warned that this growing trend poses a serious threat to the country’s healthcare system.
Senator Rehman noted that Ireland has become the top destination for Pakistani doctors, where they are offered monthly salaries of around €5,000. She said this large-scale migration has created a severe shortage of medical professionals in government hospitals, leaving public health facilities struggling to meet the demand for qualified staff.
She further emphasized that unless immediate policy measures are taken, Pakistan’s healthcare sector may face an even greater crisis in the coming years, especially in rural and underdeveloped regions.
During the same session, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal revealed that approximately 22,000 doctors graduate annually in Pakistan. However, he acknowledged that this figure is insufficient for a population exceeding 250 million.
The minister added that another pressing issue is the lack of participation of female doctors in the workforce. He pointed out that a large number of women, despite completing medical education, do not pursue active practice due to family commitments and social constraints.
Minister Kamal admitted that the combined challenge of brain drain and low domestic retention has become one of the biggest threats to Pakistan’s healthcare system. He stressed the need for a comprehensive national strategy to retain skilled medical professionals and improve working conditions across public hospitals.
Experts say that without immediate reforms, Pakistan risks facing a critical shortage of doctors, particularly in rural and low-income areas, where healthcare access is already limited.
