Qatar did not withdraw recognition of Jordanian medical board — JMC, JMA

AMMAN — Secretary-General of the Jordan Medical Council (JMC) Mohammad Al Abdallat on Friday confirmed that Qatar did not withdraw its recognition of the Jordanian medical board, Al Mamlaka TV reported.

Abdallat statements came in response to what he described as “inaccurate information” circulated by some media outlets after Qatar reclassified the Jordanian medical board as a third, instead of second degree, institution. 

Maha Fakhoury, a board member at the Jordan Medical Association (JMA), said that the reclassification of Jordan’s certificate of medical specialisation into third degree requires its holders to have no less than three years of experience and to pass an exam set by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) at the Qatari Ministry of Health in order to practise medicine in Qatar. 

The board’s previous second-degree classification only required one year of practical experience, she added. 

According to Abdallat, the JMC contacted the DHP, which clarified that this reclassification applies to all medical professionals with degrees from non-Gulf countries. 

Holders of a medical specialisation certificate from the Arab Board of Health Specialisation aren’t required to take the test, but they must have at least two years of experience in their area of specialty, Fakhoury noted. 

“I think it’s necessary that the Ministry of Health and the JMC reach out to the Qatari Ministry of Public Health for clarifications on the classification criteria,” she added. 

Some Jordanian doctors have concerns on how the reclassification might impact the reputation of the Jordanian medical board, “so understanding the justifications behind this step can help us review and improve possible shortcomings”, she continued.  

Fakhoury also denied any changes to the classification of Jordan’s medical board in Saudi Arabia, noting that 410 Saudi doctors are applying to the Jordanian medical board this year.