DUBLIN: More opportunities are setting up in Ireland for Indian doctors. With the government repealing the requirement of PG training in Ireland for non-EEA doctors to get jobs here, there is a greater chance for doctors in countries including India. There were calls from various quarters for this provision to be removed. Considering all those demands, the barriers to non-EEA doctors were removed.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly’s order was issued yesterday in this regard. Minister Donnelly has signed an order commencing Sections 97 and 100 of the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020.
These sections also amend the Medical Practitioners Act 2007.
The current requirement was that qualified doctors from non-EU countries must have completed a course equivalent to an internship in Ireland in order to pursue jobs in Ireland. This condition has now been lifted. Currently, internships from just six non-EEA countries (Australia, New Zealand, Sudan, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Africa) are deemed equivalent.
Expert doctors from around the world have been serving the Irish health sector for many years. A special course was required to become a doctor in Ireland, even if the applicants had certain qualifications. Therefore, many of the doctors trained outside the EEA could not apply for specialist training here. This decision was very disappointing for those trying to build a life and career in Ireland. This barrier has now been removed by the Irish government.