Chinese-trained medical students here under the umbrella group, Liberian Association of Chinese Trained Scholars, have hit back at criticism from the medical board about their (students') alleged ineptitude.
The Chair of the Liberia Medical Board and Dentist Association Dr. Robert Kpoto criticized the performance of medical school graduates from China.
"Medical practitioners graduating from Chinese medical schools are performing below expectation."
"They cannot even be compared with doctors here. I mean, they are failure and something must be done about this", said Dr. Kpoto, a veteran bone specialist.
He called on the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Education to suspend all Chinese scholarships for medical students, pending a proper evaluation of candidates.
"I want to think that something might have gone wrong in the selection and vetting processes of these students, who are being given scholarships to study medicines in China," said Prof. Kpoto. Scholarships from the Government of China are issued to the Government of Liberia on a bilateral basis.
Speaking at a news conference in Monrovia on Monday, Professor Kpoto said medical practitioners graduating from Chinese medical schools perform below expectations.
But appearing on a radio talk show Thursday in Monrovia, a group of medical students who have completed their studies in China and were home to contribute their quotas to the health sector, challenged Dr. Kpoto to substantiate his claim. They urged him to publicly clarify the assertion, which they termed as "embarrassing."
The medical graduates think envy or fear factor has a play in the criticisms coming from senior doctors, who may not want to provide the space for young and zealot practitioners to enter the profession.
"They envy young people. If you have problem with the young doctors, why don't call them and talk rather than going to the public?", one of them remarked during the show.
On Tuesday this week, the Director General of the National Commission on Higher Education, Dr. Michael Slawon, disclosed that the commission has no statistics on Chinese universities and colleges that are enrolling students from Liberia.
Speaking to the New Dawn, Dr. Slawon said the Government of Liberia, especially the Commission on Higher Education is not aware whether those universities and colleges are accredited by the Chinese government to offer post graduate degrees.
But one of the graduates maintained during the talk shown that Liberian students going for foreign studies in China are enrolled in some of the best Chinese universities where they met their counterparts from Africa, Asia and other parts of the world.
"We are all proud to study in China, ready to make our contribution", they said.
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Good day to alll who are there in liberia politicising a life saving profession.This Edwin N.Sumowar one of the medical students writing from china. It is regretibly regretible that people who think in liberia that medicine should only be practiced by someone with gray hair are gaining public sentiments. These old Doctors calling themselves professional people do not want any good in liberia. I say this to mean that while other countries are stiving to inprove their health sectors, liberia has chosed the other way around.There are key issues we need to make clear here to all who don't understand the profession(medicine). In the medical profession, the old folks are meant to serve as a source(s) of research while the young energitic ones are left to practice what they are been taught. But in liberia, this does not hold ground. As the result, Dr kpoto and his political followers have chosed to use the media. Let me ask him and his colleagues one simple question. How many medical papers have you published in any science journal(ICI)? I will like for all who are in agreement with this Kpoto man to google his name and see if he had ever made any good controbution to the world of science. It is only in liberia that some one like Kpoto can become the only Orthopetic(Bone doctor),"in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is a king". so it is with kpoto and his pears. some of us wish to have been in liberia to engage these old folks and tell them that medicine is not an old age profession. This is why almost all of the liberian doctors are GPs(general practioners). An example is the head of the school of pharmacy where wickeness had continued to played until it head had not obtain atleast a master deree. The like of kpoto and slowen as they called themselves have continued to supressed the young people of liberia from ancient days and they think that we are still in those day where one has to be very old before he practice medicine or they should be the only people to decide who become a doctor in liberia.Gone are those day mr kpoto and his followers. we will come to liberia with clean and good degrees that you failed to get. With God above we will prevail and the lone star of liberia will shine. The stories will be told that lives that were not saved by Kpoto and his pears are been saved by the same young scholars who they once denied to practice. Let Kpoto and his pears take this one last advise, Stop dreaming about the 18 century medical practices.This a new day and all things have turned new so is the medical science. you guys went to study in foreign countries and upon your return, there were provisions for you people to pracised. If not you were never going to be able to talk what you are talking today. We are urging the GOL to hear us and provide transport for students to come home and do interns before coming back to graduate. Dr kopto is not the most smart man in liberia.