training

Type of Training – Residency, fellowship, membership

Length of Training – Residency (4 years), fellowship (4-5 years), membership (2 years)

Year Family Medicine established – late 1990s

Number of family medicine residents graduating each year – unknown

Number of institutions that offer family medicine – 4 institutions (postgraduate family medicine programs); 207 institutions (Membership training [MCPS] and Fellowship training [FCPS])

practice

Number of family doctors – unknown

Physician to population ratio – 1 physician per 1600 population

DALY: 26,112/100,000 individuals (due to all causes).

Life Expectancy:

• Females 2017: 68.0 years

• Males 2017: 66.0 years

Mortality rate 2017:

• Males: 177 per 1,000 male adults.

• Females: 139 per 1,000 female adults

Infant Immunization-HepB3: % of 1-year-old children recieved: 75%

College of Family Physicians (Y or N):

• Yes: College of Family Medicine Pakistan.

training

There are various types of postgraduate training for family medicine that is available.   The four-year formal residency program encompasses the principles of holistic, cost-effective, patient and family centered healthcare and wellbeing (Sabzwari, n.d.).  This program is very similar to the programs offered in the West (Sabzwari, n.d.). The other types of postgraduate training for family medicine vary in duration and specialty (The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, n.d.).  Membership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (MCPS) offers training in 22 disciplines; one of them is a two-year family medicine program (The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, n.d.). There are over 19,000 spots across the 207 CPSP accredited medical institutions all over Pakistan (Sabzwari, n.d.). This provides a basic qualification in family medicine without any formal training (Sabzwari, n.d.). The College of Physicians and Surgeons offers fellowship training (FCPS) for 73 specialties, and one of them is a 4-5 years family medicine program (Sabzwari, n.d.). There are 207 institutions that offer Membership training [MCPS] and Fellowship training [FCPS] (Sabzwari, n.d.).  Currently, there are four accredited postgraduate programs for family medicine (Sabzwari, n.d.).

In late 1990s both the core model for family practice was introduced and the first postgraduate training program in family medicine was developed (Sabzwari, n.d.). In 1974, the College of family medicine Pakistan was formed and on January 1st 1974, the college became a member of WONCA (College of Family Medicine Pakistan, n.d.). The College of family medicine Pakistan is an organization of family doctors/general practitioners in Pakistan (College of Family Medicine Pakistan, n.d.).

The number of family doctors is yet to be found, but there is deficit of physicians in Pakistan since the trained physicians would move to the gulf region for better opportunities because the degree obtained in Pakistan is recognized in the Gulf (Sabzwari, Saniya). There is around one physician for about 1600 people, but in reality there is a noticeable difference in the numbers (Sabzwari, n.d.).  As of 2015, approximately 90 physicians have received the CPS fellowship (FCPS) qualification.

practice

There is a difference between the definition of a general practitioner and a family physician (Sabzwari, n.d.). A general practitioner would typically start a practice right after medical college without any formal postgraduate training (Sabzwari, n.d.). On the other hand, a family physician has received a postgraduate degree or diploma after medical college (Sabzwari, n.d.).  Most of the generalists and specialists work in urban settings (Sabzwari, n.d.). While in rural areas, healthcare provision is through the basic health units (BHUs) that are run by the government and supported by ancillary healthcare workers in the community, district hospitals, and private practitioners (Sabzwari, n.d.).