Indian professionals ‘still in high demand’

JEDDAH: There is tremendous scope for Indian professionals, especially those in the medical and IT sectors, to play an effective role in Saudi Arabia’s onward progress, said Dr. Sami Mohammed Badawood, Ministry of Health’s director general of health in Jeddah.

“We see more scope for Indian professionals here and there is always an opportunity for exchange of experts,” Badawood said while addressing the annual meeting of Indo-Saudi Medical Forum here on Friday. The meeting also marked a farewell reception for Indian Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed.

“We are looking toward India to meet our requirements for nurses, technicians, pharmacists, physicians and specialists, especially for our neonatal, intensive care, oncology, physiotherapy and other departments,” Badawood said.

Sayeed said the forum was meant for promoting professional meetings and to forge bilateral cooperation in the medical field. The Indian pharmaceutical sector has established an excellent track record and accounts for some major exports to even countries in the West, Sayeed said. He added that India was being increasingly seen as a destination for medical tourism.

As many as 600 Saudis enrolled for medical education in India last year and this figure could go up to 6,000 in the coming years, Sayeed said. He pointed out that India has established its leadership in biotech research.

Sayeed called for equalization of Indian degrees in this part of the world. He reminded that India’s booming economy, which currently offered lucrative job offers, might prevent its people from moving out of the country if they were not treated on par with others in terms of salaries and positions overseas.

India’s new Consul General Sayeed Ahmed Baba said he would work toward further consolidating Saudi-India relations at all levels and ensured full support to the community activities.

ISMF President Dr. Abdullah Moopan said the forum had been striving for uniformity of medical education and also “for reaching an understanding to view our degrees at par with qualifications from other countries.”