Fewer Medical Grads from Muslim States Entering US
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THULQAADA 17, 1441 AH WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2020 16 Pages Max 45º Min 29º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 18176 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Travel agencies struggle Yemen’s starving children, On Syrian river, craftsmen Lin Dan retirement ends era 2 amid coronavirus crisis 5 grim legacy of 6 yrs of war 13 revive famed water wheels 14 of ‘Chinese sports superstar’ Fewer medical grads from Muslim states entering US US to force out foreign students taking classes fully online WASHINGTON: The number of foreign Barack Obama was still in office, before a shortage of as many as 122,000 doctors medical graduates from Muslim-majority hastening in 2017 and 2018. by the year 2032, according to a 2019 countries coming to the United States to The study appeared in the Journal of report by the Association of American become doctors has declined by 15 per- the American Medical Association, and Medical Colleges. cent under the Trump administration, was led John Boulet, vice president of Some economists also argue that the exacerbating shortages in America’s the Educational Commission for Foreign short supply of doctors has led to a physician workforce, a study said. Medical Graduates that oversees the surge in their wages - costs that are International medical graduates repre- certification process. Boulet and col- eventually passed down to patients. “To sent about a quarter of practicing doc- leagues said that recent US policies, the extent that citizens from some coun- tors in the United States. They are such as the travel ban on Muslim-majori- tries no longer seek residency positions required to take several licensing exams ty countries “affect the inflow of IMGs in the US, gaps in the physician work- and then complete two or three years of International Medical Graduates) by force could widen,” the authors said. The training to practice medicine in the restricting travel to the country for citi- attractiveness of the United States as a United States. zens from specific nations.” destination may have also waned in com- Overall, citizens from Muslim-majori- They added: “Even a perceived immi- parison to other countries like Canada, ty nations made up 4.5 percent of the US gration ban could affect who chooses to New Zealand, Australia and Britain, the physician workforce in 2019, with complete the requirements for... certifi- authors wrote. Pakistan, Egypt and Iran historically pro- cation” while potential difficulty obtain- In a related development, the US said LOS ANGELES: This photo illustration shows a US visa stamp on a foreign passport. — AFP viding the bulk. The number of graduates ing a visa could dissuade the program Monday it would not allow foreign stu- from Islamic nations applying for certifi- directors of medical residencies from dents to remain in the country if all of cation in the United States rose from making a job offer. their classes are moved online in the fall US Immigration and Custom school with in-person instruction to 2009-2015, peaking at 4,244, before The US demand for physicians has long because of the coronavirus crisis. Enforcement said in a statement. remain in lawful status,” ICE said. “If not, falling steadily to 3,604 in 2018 - a outstripped supply for a variety of reasons, “Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students “Active students currently in the they may face immigration consequences decline of 15 percent. A small drop from population growth and aging, to a attending schools operating entirely United States enrolled in such programs including, but not limited to, the initiation occurred in 2016, the year in which federal cap on funding for residency train- online may not take a full online course must depart the country or take other of removal proceedings.” Trump was elected but his predecessor ing. As a result, the United States could see load and remain in the United States,” measures, such as transferring to a Continued on Page 2 Scientist: View Irked panel vows mask refusers to review laws to like drink drivers cut expat numbers PARIS: People who refuse to wear face masks dur- ing the coronavirus pandemic should be stigmatized By B Izzak the same as drink drivers, the head of the prestigious Royal Society science journal said yesterday. The KUWAIT: Head of the National Assembly’s man- comments from Venki Ramakrishnan come as two power development committee MP Khalil Al-Saleh new peer-reviewed studies showed how wearing yesterday criticized the government for failing to face coverings may help significantly reduce the provide its vision on how to reduce the number of spread of viruses such as COVID-19. expats in the country. Saleh said that the committee “It used to be quite normal to have quite a few had given the government ample time to submit its drinks and drive home, and it also used to be normal ideas on the issue, but concerned government to drive without seatbelts,” Ramakrishnan wrote in a authorities failed to provide anything so far. comment article. “Today both of those would be con- The lawmaker said the committee as a result has decided to proceed with its legislation and will sidered antisocial, and not wearing face coverings in write a report to the Assembly on ways to reduce public should be regarded in the same way.” Ramakrishnan stressed how masks are only genuine- BANI NAIM: Palestinian Waad Manasra adjusts one of her hand-embroidered protective masks on a customer’s the number of expats in Kuwait. The committee has face at her home in this village east of the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday. — AFP been assigned by the Assembly to study various ly effective if worn by most people. “If all of us wear draft laws submitted by MPs proposing solutions to one, we protect each other and thereby ourselves, cut the number of expats, who number 3.35 million reducing transmission,” he said. women were carrying the virus, 88 percent of whom nificantly reduce the risk of new infections. Another and form 70 percent of the population. Estimates vary, but it is thought around 40-60 showed no symptoms. Cloth face masks reduce oral study published Monday in the Royal Society out- Saleh had previously said he believes Kuwait can percent of transmissions occur when carriers are particle dispersion between 50-100 percent, lined vast discrepancies in mask-wearing rates reduce up to one million expats within three pre- or asymptomatic - that is, they may not know depending on a number of factors, the researchers among rich nations. months, mainly by replacing expats in government they are ill but are still able to infect others. One wrote. In late April - as COVID-19 raged throughout jobs and deporting some 500,000 low-paid work- study by teams from the Universities of Pennsylvania In pre-symptomatic individuals, studies have Europe - mask-wearing uptake in Britain was around ers. The panel is expected to review a draft law call- and Cambridge analyzed pregnant women admitted shown that viral droplets are emitted not only by 25 percent, the study found. This compared to 83.4 ing to introduce certain percentages for foreign for delivery in New York City who were screened for sneezing and coughing, but also by talking and percent in Italy, 65.8 percent in the United States and communities in Kuwait, proposing the largest com- COVID-19. They found that 13.7 percent of the breathing, meaning mass face coverings would sig- 63.8 percent in Spain. — AFP munity - Indians - should not exceed 15 percent of Kuwaiti citizens. The bill also proposes that Egyptians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos among others time” on the “problems” of Chinese technology in must not each exceed 10 percent of Kuwaitis. This US ‘looking at’ infrastructure and was “making real progress”. “With would require deporting around 2.5 million expats. respect to Chinese apps on people’s cell phones, I can Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem has said assure you the United States will get this one right it is not possible to introduce the quota system at banning TikTok, present, adding that he and other MPs plan to sub- too,” he said. “I don’t want to get out in front of the mit a new draft law aimed at binding the govern- president, but it’s something we are looking at.” ment to gradually reduce the number of expats. Chinese apps Pompeo earlier lashed out at what he called Interior Minister Anas Al-Saleh also said that the China’s “Orwellian” moves to censor activists, schools and libraries in Hong Kong under a sweeping new ministry has completed proposed wide-scale WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo amendments to the residency law to facilitate security law. Authorities in the financial hub have has said the US is “looking at” banning Chinese social reducing the number of expats. He said the draft law ordered schools to remove books for review under will be sent to the Assembly within two weeks. media apps, including TikTok, over allegations Beijing the law, which has criminalized certain opinions such The head of the Assembly panel MP Saleh how- is using them to spy on users. India has already as calls for independence or more autonomy. ever said that a government committee formed in barred the wildly popular TikTok app over national Libraries in Hong Kong said they were pulling titles 2014 to study the population structure has practi- security and privacy concerns while other countries written by a handful of pro-democracy activists. cally done nothing over the issue, which has esca- are reportedly mulling similar measures. Asked on “The Chinese Communist Party’s destruction of shelves, banned political slogans, and are now requir- lated after the outbreak of the coronavirus.