'27,000 cases of registration of doctors in pending'

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is deeply concerned over the non-functioning of the PMDC, i.e., the country's regulatory body for the registration of doctors and medical education.

Secretary-General, Pakistan Medical Association (Centre), Dr S M Qaisar Sajjad, in his statement, noted that the present regime dissolved the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and formed the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) to regulate medical education and the registration of medical practitioners. Now, the PMC has been dissolved by the Islamabad High Court and has restored the PMDC and its employees.

He said, “We regretfully say that the government is not implementing the decision of the Islamabad High Court and the PMDC still has not been restored.” He said the head office and the regional offices of the PMDC are closed. The situation is creating problems for medical professionals.

He further said that young doctors are unable to start their house jobs because nobody is there to register them. According to an official statement, more than 27,000 cases of registration are pending. Likewise, Pakistani doctors working abroad are also very distressed because they are unable to get their registration renewed or get their good standing certificates.

He said the PMA believes that the government should immediately implement the verdict of the Islamabad High Court and open the head office of the PMDC in Islamabad and the regional offices in the other provinces so that the day-to-day issues of medical professionals can be resolved timely.

Dr Qaisar Sajjad suggested the formation of an ad-hoc committee by the Islamabad High Court immediately to run the day-to-day affairs of the PMDC, and it should be given the task of holding fresh elections within the next 60 days, according to the PMDC ordinance of 1962.

He further suggested that the representatives of the stakeholders should also be included in this ad-hoc committee. The elected body will then resolve all the issues concerned with medical professionals as well as medical education.

-MN Report