§ 1. Dr. David Kerrasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will make available to doctors in Mauritius access to postgraduate medical studies, either in Mauritius or by arrangement with neighbouring African countries.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Overseas Development (Mr.Albert E. Oram)Although it is open to the Government of Mauritius to request such assistance, it is most unlikely that suitable facilities could be provided at present in either Mauritius or East Africa.
§ Dr. KerrIs my hon. Friend aware that that is a disappointing Answer, particularly for the doctors in Mauritius, who feel themselves very cut off and who none the less maintain a very high standard of practice, higher, perhaps, than in any other developing territory? I would ask him to look again at the possibility of some kind of attachment between the resources which we provide in East Africa and those which are available to doctors in Mauritius.
§ Mr. OramI recognise the sense of isolation to which my hon. Friend refers. This is rather unavoidable in a remote and small territory. The difficulty is that it would be economically and professionally unrealistic for Mauritius to attempt the considerable increase in specialist staff and provision of sophisticated equipment to provide postgraduate studies based on local hospital services. We help, of course, with postgraduate training in this 1924 country to a small extent, and consideration is being given to possibilities in East Africa. It is, however, a difficult problem, as, I am sure, my hon. Friend recognises.