Doctors urge defense minister to
’modernize’ draft
Doctors in training at the country’s faculties of medicine urged Defense Minister
Khalil Hrawi over the weekend to “modernize” the military service law by
granting an additional year to residents to complete their specialization training.
During a general assembly Saturday the American University of Beirut’s Issam Fares
Hall, medical students denounced the current law, which stipulates that they stop their
specialization in the medical field to perform their military duty.
Ali Aaraj, head of the residents’ department at AUB, indicated that the current law
forced graduate doctors undergoing training to permanently leave the country in fear of
prosecution for failing to enter the military after graduation.
“Thus, the implementation of the current law is causing brain drain and retardation
in the medical field in Lebanon,” he said.
The meeting issued recommendations that included a call for granting an additional year
for completing medical training before joining the military.
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