A prominent gastroenterologist of Indian origin in the US has decided to return to India set up a 600-bed hospital in India, leaving behind a lucrative practice. He is quite upset about increasing regulation in the US that he believes is stifling professional satisfaction. Apart from regulation, global recession too is proving to be a major reason for such doctors to look at India.

Several thousand Indian doctors in the United Kingdom, both in service and Indian children who completed their medical education, too are seriously planning to look for jobs in India.

Dr Ramesh Mehta, Secretary-General of GAPIO (Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin), sees clear signs of reverse brain drain as one-fourth of 40,000 doctors of Indian origin in the UK’s National Health Services were going to retire soon.

Recently, Kelly Services, which tracks human resources movement trends across the globe, estimated that about three lakh Indian professionals (cutting across different streams) are likely to come back in the next five years.

“New generation doctors are not finding jobs because of recession. They are looking at India jobs. New colleges and institutes are coming up here and they might need experienced people. Those who aspire for the best positions and not getting them too are trying to come back,” Dr Mehta said.

On the other hand, India desperately needs doctors. “It is short of six lakh doctors and 10,000 nurses,” he said, pointing out that any reverse drain of doctors would quite be handy for India.

Numbers

Indian doctors abroad are not in small in numbers. As many as five lakh doctors have made foreign countries abroad their home. Dominated by the US with over one lakh in the US, geographies where Indian doctors have settled in significant numbers include the UK, Australia and New Zealand, said Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo group of hospitals.

It, however, is not that easy for them to come back and join hospitals and colleges directly when they returned. They would have to tackle the issues of acceptability of their degrees.

GAPIO is an umbrella body of associations of Indian origin doctors in several countries. Dr Reddy and Dr Mehta were listing out initiatives that GAPIO and its constituents might start to better medical education and healthcare services India.

They were here to take part in the second edition of GAPIO conference here on Wednesday.

Sustained growth

Commenting on this trend, Mr Kamal Karanth, Managing Director of Kelly Services India, said that talent migration has ceased to be just a phenomenon relevant to movement from emerging economies to developed economies. “The sustained growth of India and the resilience India showed during the slow down also has added dynamic transition and movement back to India,” he said.

kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

Published on January 5, 2012