Khaberni - The file of foreign board-certified doctors and specialization qualifiers remains stagnant for years, and they are demanding the Ministry of Health to grant them legal recognition for practicing the profession, similar to what happened with respiratory professionals.
These doctors confirmed that their situation has been pending since 2021 despite the title "Specialization Qualifier" being published in the official gazette, it remains unenforced to this day.
According to the amended medical profession titles system issued on July 25, 2021, a new title "Specialization Qualifier" has been added, granted to any physician who has completed a residency period and has worked for 5 years or more, and who held the first part of the board certificate.
Practice Without Legal Recognition
This title has not been activated yet, making foreign board-certified doctors working in Ministry of Health hospitals practice their specialties officially without legal recognition, where they are officially registered as general doctors.
Doctors indicate that all other medical professions are included in professional practice systems, except for specialization qualifiers and foreign board-certified doctors, who still do not have a license matching their daily work reality up to this moment.
This regulatory flaw puts these doctors in a legally fragile position, where they perform specialist and advanced surgical tasks without clear legislative protection and are considered in the ministry's records as general practitioners despite their specialist operations within government hospitals.
In the same context, observers see that this legislative and procedural gap in the Ministry of Health reflects the delay in updating laws and regulations in line with medical advancements, as well as the absence of a specialization practice certificate for this category of doctors.
A lack of supervision and inspection mechanisms on job descriptions, especially in peripheral areas, along with a severe shortage of specialists, continues this situation. The ministry practically relies on unclassified doctors to fulfill the shortage, legally burdening them without providing protection.
They confirmed that allowing the practice of specialties without official classification devalues recognized residency programs and establishes a state of injustice among doctors.
Mandatory Licensing for Respiratory Therapy Professionals
At a time when the Minister of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Badour, announced a new official circular that mandates all respiratory therapy professionals to obtain a practice license according to the professional practice system number (44) for the year 2025, a number of Jordanian doctors with foreign boards and specialization qualifiers emphasized the necessity of being treated equally, considering legal recognition for practicing the profession as the basic guarantee for protecting patients and improving healthcare services.
They clarified that the continuous disregard of their file deprives them of legal work and exposes patients and the public to a real health security risk, as they work in a legally exposed environment which leaves them unable to freely contribute, leading to a lack of competencies and delays in critical services.
They emphasized that their essential demand is to grant them the right to practice the profession immediately under the law and to be officially classified in the Ministry of Health system, stressing that any delay or negligence in addressing these demands harms the credibility of the healthcare system and increases the wastage of qualified medical talents.
They called for modifying regulations to activate the "Specialization Qualifier" title, granting them the legal right to practice the profession and ensuring fairness in treatment with respiratory professionals.
A Title Pending Official Activation
Commenting on this, the media spokesman for the Medical Association, Dr. Hazem Qaralleh, confirmed that the file of foreign board-certified doctors includes several categories, each with specific demands related to legal recognition and professional rights.
He pointed out that the "Specialization Qualifier" title has indeed been published in the official gazette, but its activation is still pending, noting that doctors are now demanding the right to practice the profession officially and fair financial rights.
He explained that their salaries have not been adjusted to match the nature of their work as specialists, yet they are still treated as "qualified residents," emphasizing the importance of granting them the right to issue official certificates that reflect their qualifications.
He mentioned that holders of qualifications are divided into several categories. Some have obtained a PhD or the highest specialization certificate from the country of origin, but they did not meet the three-year service condition in those countries, having spent many years working inside Jordanian hospitals, some for more than 10 years and others approaching 20 years of service.
He clarified that these are demanding an equivalence of their certificates and recognition of their experience, which requires amending Article (17/c) of the Medical Council law.
And he added, there is another category of doctors who obtained a foreign board that was previously recognized as part one of the Jordanian board, but the recognition did not include all of them, as part of them remained without official accreditation despite meeting the same conditions.
He confirmed that these are demanding equal treatment with their colleagues who were previously recognized, and to be allowed to join the second part of the Jordanian board.
Qaralleh stressed that all relevant parties must prioritize public interest and find logical and realistic solutions for all these categories.
Competence as the Basis for Granting Professional Titles
Meanwhile, the expert in medical ethics and former Vice President of the Medical Association, Dr. Momen Al-Hadidi, confirmed that the relationship between professional recognitions and granting titles must be based on competence and practical experience.
He emphasized that the Jordanian Medical Council is legally empowered to grant these titles according to current legislation, which necessitates resolving this file in a professional and clear organizational manner to ensure fairness for healthcare providers and preserve patients' rights to high-quality care.
He clarified that the Jordanian Medical Council, Medical Association, and Ministry of Health all bear a central responsibility in this regard, which requires reaching consensus-based decisions on convincing justifications, affirming that skill and competence are non-negotiable standards in any agreement related to this matter.
He warned that continuing disagreement on this file could negatively reflect on the reputation of Jordanian doctors, especially those seeking to work outside the kingdom, noting that the optimal solution lies in adopting innovative ideas that enhance institutional capabilities and grant deserving professionals their professional titles on solid bases, as granting titles without clear standards will affect the national reputation of the health sector.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the Minister of Health to manage this file wisely and balancedly, given his closeness to the medical body and his concern for citizens' health, affirming that addressing this issue fairly and transparently would enhance societal trust in the Jordanian health sector and support the local and international standing of doctors.
