Senate body urged to restore CPSP’s seat in PMDC

MN Report

ISLAMABAD - President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) Prof Zafarullah Chaudhry has demanded of Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) to restore CPSP’s seat in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

Raising the issue of CPSP’s seat in the PMDC before the Senate’sStanding Committee on NHS that met here recently with Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi in the chair, Prof Zafarullah Chaurdhry said that CPSP’s seat that was included in the 2012 Ordinance had been abolished in 2015.

He was of the view that since CPSP produces 90 per cent of doctors in the country it should be given a seat on the PMDC’s council.

In response to the CPSP’s president demand, PMDC President Dr Shabbir Lehri said that the 1962 Ordinance had not included a seat for CPSP and that the seat had been removed in 2015 to avoid a conflict of interest.

He said that the number of seats on the council had increased to 85 in 2012 and that a committee established to look into the issue by court order had recommended that this number be decreased.

“CPSP’s seat was removed along with university syndicates”, he said, adding that “If CPSP is given a seat, other institutions will demand one for them, as well.”

He further stated that of 31 members of the council, 13 have earned degrees from CPSP.

The committee decided to form a three-member sub-committee to look into the matter.