PMDC Stands Dissolved After President Alvi Signed New Ordinance

Doctors express serious concerns over govt's new move, term it "purely undemocratic"

ISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/ UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-21th Oct, 2019) Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, the top regulatory body of the medical profession, stood dissolved after President Arif Ali promulgated an ordinance for establishment of a new organization namely "pakistan Medical Commission", the reports said.

Accordinng to the details, The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations issued a statement claiming that that the president had signed a new ordinance titled ‘Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance, 2019’ and its implementation required dissolution of current Pakistan Medical & Dental Council.

"By virtue of Presidental Ordinance, a new era of regulation and control of the medical profession will begin by establishing uniform standard of medical education and straining and recognition of qualifications in medicine and dentistry," the ministry said.

After new Ordinance, Pakistan Medical Commission would be established which would be consisting of mainly three departments including Medical and Dental Council, the National Medical and Dental Academic board and The National Medical Authority.

The sources said that the new medical commisison is expected to start its operation within a week. They said the government did all this immediately in order to protect extremely important records relating to licensing and registration of all medical and dental practitioners in Pakistan as well as the records of medical and dental educational institutions in view of the approval of the new Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance.

The new commission will be run by a nine-member body and the head of the commission would be called president. The notification for the new ordinance is expected to be issued today. Besides it, the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) through the Islamabad district administration and police took control of the PMDC building, with direction to 220 employees of the council that the office would remain shut for one week.

In their response to the governemnt's act of passing a new ordinance, Pakistan Medical Association condemned the decision of the government and termed it "purely undemocratic".

They urged the political parties to reject the Ordinance. The local administration of Islambad and police took charge of the PMDC's office on Sunday but even then the panic spread among the doctors and their bodies in the country.

Accordinng to media reports, PMDC registrar retired Brig Dr Hafizuddin Ahmed Siddiqui, who was appointed in July this year for a term of three years, stated that he was not aware about the ministry's decision of taking over the control of the PMDC's building in Islamabad.

"It is very strange because it the matter of secrecy and protection of record of the council," said Siddiui adding that" At least they should not terminate 220 employees,". A former member of the council, requesting not to be named, said that a few days back representatives of private colleges held a meeting in Lahore, which was participated by a personality from the United States through Skype.

The sources said that after promulgation of new ordinance, the responsibilities of the PMDC would be minimised and the medicacl colleges would be allowed to increase fees. They said they would not be pushed to have certain number of faculty members, colleges would be allowed to make their own criterion of admission and every college would be allowed to chose university of its choice, etc.

On other hand, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza termed the the new ordinance as need of the hour, saying that “ we are far behind from the rest of the world because we are still following decades old methods for our medical education,". "It is time to delibrate on our medical educationn and for this purpose, the practices of other countries will be followed," he said. He further said: " it is important to take over the council building to protect the sensitive record,".

he also made it clear that a nine-member body will run PMC through a president,".

It may be mentioned here that the doctors are already on strike in all public hospitals of Lahore and the poor patients are runing from pillar to post for their medical treatment. And now after promulgation of new ordinance,it is likely that there would be more protests by the doctors in coming days.