Fewer Nationals Seek Medical Specialisations

There has been a marked decline in the number of UAE nationals seeking in specialisations like medicine, dentistry, pharmacology and health sciences.

In all these branches national under-graduates account for only 50 per cent.

This was stated by Dr Husam Al Din Hamdi, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, University of Sharjah (UoS), in an interview with Khaleej Times.

In medicine, the percentage is 20 per cent nationwide although there were five faculties of medicine, with 150-200 doctors graduating each year.

“We are in desperate need to lift this percentage in order to Emiratise the medical profession,” he added.

Hamdi also said His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who is also Supreme President of University of Sharjah, is eager to see modern health services made available to people.

He stated that Dr Shaikh Sultan had sanctioned Dh125 million for setting up a state-of-the-art medical research centre. The 7000-square-metre facility will house 17 specialist laboratories.

Dh 75 million were earmarked for acquiring advanced medical equipment.

According to him, Dr Shaikh Sultan has ordered the construction of a 220-bed training hospital.

The university, he added, has entered into partnerships with leading universities in France and Japan for offering Master’s and Ph.D programmes.

“A Dh75 million surgical and clinical training centre will opened by end of January 2010. The centre will have seven simulation clinics on par with those in Europe where students will get virtual training on modern systems brought specially from US, Britain and Germany,” he stated.

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