ISLAMABAD: The federal government finalized a seven-member committee to manage the affairs of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and revamp the fast deteriorating medical education in the country.
The new look PMDC management committee has started working under the “Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2014” which was promulgated last week.
The committee is headed by Prof Ghiasuddin Butt from Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS) and its members include Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, CEO of Indus Hospital Karachi and three Grade-20 officers from the ministries of Law, Finance and National Health Services.
The committee has replaced the previous administration of PMDC that is accused of massive corruption through illegal recognition of substandard medical colleges. The mushroom growth of medical colleges during last five years, has given credence to the allegations of massive corruption by some officials of PMDC.
However, the previous management of PMDC has always refuted the corruption allegations and claimed that it is being victimized for political reasons. “ In 60 years, there were only 28 medical colleges in Pakistan but the number swell to 128 since 2007 which shows how the previous administration compromised the quality of medical education to accommodate their favourites,” as per the Health Ministry official.
He said the committee would immediately start working on a draft law to restructure the regulatory body, which is currently hijacked by powerful and influential owners of private medical colleges.
The new law, he said, would ensure that medical colleges and institutions adhere to highest standards of education and produce quality medical practitioners to restore the reputation of Pakistani doctors. Under the new Ordinance, the committee would hold free and fair elections of the Council within 120 days while it will also investigate and fix responsibility for mismanagement, mal-administration and wrongdoing of the previous regime. The committee is also tasked to resolve issues relating to deficiencies regarding teaching faculties of medical and dental colleges.
The management committee will also have the power to review any decision already taken by the council or its executive committee. It will stand dissolved as soon as the new council gets elected and is notified.
