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NEWS: John Zarocostas Exodus of medical staff strains Iraq's health facilities BMJ 2007; 334: 865-a [Full text]

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Iraqi interns' problem

Mustafa.R. Abdul Hameed   (29 April 2007)

Newly graduated Iraqi doctors, and their struggle to live.

SAIF A. MUHSIN   (1 May 2007)

You Are Not Alone

Jacobo D Dib Jr MD   (1 May 2007)

Iraqi interns' problem 29 April 2007
Mustafa.R. Abdul Hameed, intern at Jordanian Univerisity Hospital ( unpaid ) 0000 Send response to journal: Re: Iraqi interns' problem	Thank u very much for publishing this article. In addition to the mentioned problems , which are horrible , there's an additional one. We , the graduates from the university of baghdad/ college of medicine , were prohibited from getting our certificate of graduation. Now we work ( unpaid )and we are almost out of resources , have no certificate of graduation , cannot do AMC exams or ECFMG , and we are obligated to provide proof about our graduation to the jordanian medical council. This rule was legislated during the Ba'ths regime and the new " democracy " era. I wish that someone notices our problem and helps us. thank u again Competing interests: None declared
Newly graduated Iraqi doctors, and their struggle to live. 1 May 2007
SAIF A. MUHSIN, medical intern Hamad medical corporation, Doha, Qatar. Send response to journal: Re: Newly graduated Iraqi doctors, and their struggle to live.	Its relatively easy to be a student and do what students do..... its also easy to be a doctor and do what doctors do.... but to be neither one is the disaster. This is the problem of newly graduated Iraqi doctors, who were the farthest they can be from getting their graduatin certificates. I go back and remember when we were in the middle of our final exams before graduation june/july 2006, that was when we the decision was made to withhold issuing graduation certificates. it was one of the most terrible days of our life, to have to work hard and study to get through the finals knowing in advance that you will not be recognized as a doctor and will not enjoy the moments of recieving your certificate. Is it just because they want to force us to go back there beause not having a certificate will get you no where literally. And to go back there is to wait for your turn to die being a target for all sorts of ways of human humiliation 24hours/7days. The question is: what kind of world are we in ? What knid of law can justify such an act ? to deprive a human being of one of the most important basic rights. I do wish this message gets passed on to those who need to know and to those who can do something to address the problem. Believe me, the words I write are just a minutes time of thinking.... but to remember all the tragedies we are up against is something not to be written but only to be lived. Competing interests: None declared
You Are Not Alone 1 May 2007
Jacobo D Dib Jr MD, Chief Gastroenteroly Unit Hospital de LIdice. Caracas, Venezuela 1066 Send response to journal: Re: You Are Not Alone	Migration patterns are universal. When at war, people of any given nation tend to migrate, and doctors are no exception. In Third World countries like ours, where violence, kidnapping and low social- economic standards are the rule, migration is inevitable. In Venezuela, a nation not at war,the death toll due to violent crimes rounds 100 every week.This last year we could not hire the total number of doctors required to attend all our hospitals, including Post- Graduate courses of an excellent academic level. Many of our recently graduated doctors are migrating to the US and Europe. In this matter Iraq is not alone,and organizations such as WHO should do something about it,including special treatment to migrating doctors,helping them find a decent job,and encouraging them to return to their country of origen once the situation of war and/or violence is resolved. Jacobo Dib Jr MD Caracas, Venezuela Competing interests: None declared