Lower medical study requirement: MOH

By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi • 15 January 2024, 8:00PM

The Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) has reached out to the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) with a proposal to reconsider the entry requirements and criteria for prospective medical students.

The objective behind this initiative, according to the Director General of Health, Aiono Professor Alec Ekeroma, is to tackle the persistent challenge of a shortage of doctors within the country.

By potentially lowering the entry marks and criteria, the Ministry aims to increase the accessibility of medical education, ultimately contributing to an augmented number of healthcare professionals in Samoa.

Aiono mentioned the idea in a recent interview with this newspaper and elaborated on their strategy to address the shortage of doctors in Samoa in an interview with ABC Pacific Beat last week.

He highlighted the prolonged problem of scarcity of doctors in Samoa.

According to the World Health Organisation's (W.H.O.) recommended formula, the ideal doctor-to-population ratio is one doctor for every 1,000 people.

Unfortunately, Samoa faces a substantial disparity with a population exceeding 200,000 and only 96 doctors employed by the ministry, along with more than 40 operating private clinics.

This substantial gap in the doctor-to-population ratio has emerged as a significant and pressing challenge for the healthcare system in Samoa.

Aiono pointed out that private doctors are not fully committed, placing the burden on the ministry-employed doctors. He asserted that these doctors are either working excessively or handling an overwhelming workload.

This situation has resulted in some of them choosing to take sick leave due to the stress and pressure they experience.

Aiono explained that the request for a review of entry requirements for aspiring medical students is driven by the goal of enhancing the influx of new medical professionals.

He emphasised that the current number of graduates from the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) and Oceania University of Medicine (O.U.M.) is insufficient to effectively address the persistent shortage of doctors anticipated in the future.

Aiono further mentioned that the current entry requirements are somewhat stringent, prompting them to request a slight reduction in the qualifying marks from the national university.

He added that only a certain number of students get into the medical students with most opting to take up engineering courses and go overseas on scholarships rather than staying in Samoa and being enrolled in the medical universities.

They are also exploring the option of encouraging the diaspora, particularly Samoan doctors in Australia and New Zealand, to return and contribute to the ministry.

He is hoping that these professionals would be willing to come back and serve Samoa, even if it's for a temporary period, as part of the broader strategy to address the shortage of doctors in the country.

The Director General said they are also considering empowering their nurses by training them so they can better assist with the shortage of doctors.

He also added that they are aware of the huge pressure on the doctors and healthcare providers because more and more people have been to other countries like Australia and New Zealand and they come back with high expectations of what the services should be like.

However, the issue is that Samoa does not have the workforce to deliver the best services expected by the public as well as the limited resources available.

The recently published paper by Asiata Professor Satupaitea Viali, the Dean of Oceania University of Medicine (O.U.M.), reflects comparable views.

He mentioned that the health system requires an additional 100 doctors to address the existing shortage in the public health service.

“According to the Ministry of Health in Samoa, there are about 120 doctors currently working in Samoa. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), Samoa needs about 200 doctors minimum to cater for the number of people in Samoa, with an ideal ratio of 1 doctor to 1,000 people,” he said.

“So, we need to train another 100 doctors to cater for Samoa. The Fiji School of Medicine which became the Fiji National University (FNU) has trained about 60 doctors currently working in Samoa, the oldest is about 80 years old and has retired.

“The output of doctors from FNU is only about two to three per year now. Only three of the Samoan FSM graduates are working overseas in New Zealand and New Caledonia, and the rest are working in Samoa in our health system in hospitals and the private sector."