Up in arms : Dozens come together at demonstrations against PMDC

Council accused of turning a blind eye to violations of rules and regulations.

FAISALABAD: Scores of doctors came together at a protest demonstration against the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council on Tuesday in the city.

The demonstrators gathered near the main gate of the Punjab Medical College and staged a sit-in at the spot. Muhammad Ashraf of the Medical Teachers’ Association told journalists that the council had been “completely hijacked by the private colleges mafia.” He said this had compelled the PMDC to take decisions that solely benefited private institutions. “Private institutions have been regularly violating the council’s rules and regulations but no action has been taken on this account,” Ashraf said. He said only select doctors were permitted to teach basic science subjects but a veterinary doctor had been appointed as the head of the pharmacology department at the private medical institution. Ashraf said despite the fact that this constituted an “express violation” of rules and regulations, no action had been taken on this account.



Muhammad Irfan of the Pakistan Medical Association assailed the council’s decision to delete a course on forensic medicine. He said forensics was a pivotal subject in medicine. Irfan said the ramifications of the decision would be manifold.

He said the PMDC’s decision to make it mandatory for doctors to obtain 150 credit hours by attending conferences had negatively affected their performance. “Decisions such as this are not only spreading frustration among doctors but also causing panic among patients,” Irfan said.

The demonstrators raised slogans against the PMDC and demanded an end to the domineering influence of private institutions in the council.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2015.