The British government has cancelled examinations for recruitment of overseas doctors after the July 'sittings', thereby providing more opportunities to over 1,000 unemployed NRI doctors in the UK.
'Due to low demand, we have cancelled all PLAB (Professional and Lingusitic Assessment Board) Part 1 exams outside the UK after the sitting in July 2006. Sittings will resume in January 2007,' the government announced.Shiv Pande, Chairman of Indo-British Association (North) and former Treasurer of General Medical Council, said 'the government's landmark decision will help alleviate the misery of over 1,000 NRI doctors as it may open the door for them'.
'PLAB test does not guarantee a job. But ever since the British government decided to abolish permit-free training for international medical graduates and discriminated against non- EU medicos, unemployed NRI doctors here were suffering,' he said.
'Hence, we have been pressing the government to put off the PLAB test. They have done it as a short-term solution,' he added.
(Source:PTI News)
