Overseas-trained doctors registered

28 August 2002

News Release
Medical Council of New Zealand

Overseas-trained doctors registered

The Medical Council releases bi-monthly statistics on the numbers of overseas-trained doctors being registered to practise in New Zealand. The fourth report covers June and July 2002.

The reports illustrate the multinational nature of New Zealand’s medical workforce and the influx of new doctors to New Zealand from overseas.

Overseas-trained doctors coming to New Zealand are registered at weekly, monthly and bi-monthly meetings throughout the year.

Statistics June – July 2002

The Council registered 252 doctors from 33 overseas countries during the period. This compares to 110 doctors from 24 countries registered in the previous two-months. Countries of primary qualification are shown below.

One hundred and twenty permanent doctors

United Kingdom 53 Bangladesh 13
South Africa 12 India 6
Sri Lanka 5 Iraq 3

Plus two each from: Australia, China, Egypt, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Zimbabwe.

Plus one each from: Japan, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine.

One hundred and thirty-two temporary doctors

United Kingdom 43 South Africa 22
USA 18 Australia 10
India 8 Canada 3
Pakistan 3 Germany 3

Plus two each from: Egypt, Fiji, Republic of Ireland, Malaysia, Zimbabwe.

Plus one each from: Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey.
Graduate of Ukraine – see next page
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Profile – Dr Suresh Perera

MD 1990, Kharkov Medical School, Ukraine

Sri-Lankan born Dr Perera is a house surgeon at Wanganui hospital, starting in May this year. He did his medical training on a scholarship at Kharkov University, Ukraine. He is a graduate of the Government’s bridging programme for overseas-trained doctors.

Before he came to New Zealand to settle down permanently in 1999, he worked in a cardiology and later as a post-graduate medical registrar in a very busy clinic, typically dealing with 50 to 70 patients a day. He came to New Zealand to get a better educational and economic future for himself, his wife and two daughters.

“I think the two systems are quite different,” he says. “I saw more cases in Sri Lanka than here but the working environment and systems in New Zealand are better”.

The family enjoys life in Wanganui he says but they miss their relatives back home.

Dr Perera has probationary registration while he works towards the next rung of general or vocational registration. He plans to specialise in internal medicine.

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