Editorial

PMDC’s restoration

The entire society salutes the healers in these testing times

Editorial April 11, 2020

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) is to resume functioning after the Islamabad High Court settled a dispute between the former and the federal government. The absence of a regulator was a hurdle in the way of recruiting and registering new medical graduates at a time when more doctors are needed to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

The IHC recently gave the ruling that has paved the way for the PMDC to resume functioning. President Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance on Oct 19 last year under which the PMDC stood dissolved. The PMDC was to be replaced by the Pakistan Medical Commission. The presidential ordinance was challenged in the IHC. In February, the IHC restored the PMDC declaring the ordinance null and void. However, the PMDC could not resume functioning due to dispute with the government on issues like the number of PMDC employees to be taken back. The PMDC wanted all its employees, who had been on its rolls before the promulgation of the presidential ordinance, to be retained. The government was not willing to allow all the employees back on their jobs. Now the government, in concurrence with the court, has agreed to allow a limited number of the employees to resume their duties. The court has ordered the removal of law-enforcement personnel from the PMDC premises.

Concerned quarters had opposed the dissolution of the PMDC and its replacement by another body. They had viewed the government’s move with suspicion as they had claimed that the idea of PMC was floated by vested interests which had their own agenda to pursue. They had expressed fears that the formation of a commission would benefit those running private institutions of medical education and the new measure would also harm the interests of doctors. Medical professionals have welcomed the development, saying it has come when it was most needed in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The entire society salutes the healers in these testing times.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2020.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

COMMENTS (1)

Muhammad Amin, Advocate High Court. | 4 years ago | Reply Astonishing fact about PM&DC always is the exploitation of innocent Pakistani Foreign Medical Graduates. NEB 3 steps examination with big intervals and and not issuing RMPs to these medical graduates is serving no purpose except to spoil and destroy talented youth of the country. Time has come to waive off condition of NEB Equivalency Examination and without any delay, all foreign medical graduates of the country shall be engaged in COVID-19 and period they serve shall be treated as their HOUSE JOB. These medical graduates are very talented but they are facing discrimination as compared to local medical graduates. Please do help these Pakistan Medical graduates and treat them like local medical graduates. The discrimination must end now. PM&DC management, Ex Pakistan Medical Commission and the Health Ministry have not attended problems being faced by Pakistani Medical graduates who almost are more than 5000 but due to unwanted NEB 3 steps Equivalency examination with big intervals, their future is spoiling. Instead to destroy future of PFMGs, give them proper training in hospitals i.e. house job / internships. I request prime minister Imran Khan, Health ministry and PM&DC authorities to waive off NEB Equivalency Examination and provide a fair opportunity to PFMGs and let they serve the country.

Replying to X