NA committee reviews arrangements for MDCAT retake

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations reviewed preparations for the upcoming retake of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), reaffirming its commitment to improving healthcare services and medical education.
In a meeting chaired by Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, members emphasized the need for strict measures to ensure a smooth, transparent, and fair examination process, calling for robust monitoring and security to uphold the test’s credibility.
Officials informed the committee that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has established a seven-member panel to improve the MDCAT process.
Chaired by Major General Muhammad Suhail Amin, Principal of Army Medical College Rawalpindi, the panel includes Dr. Sameera Ehsan, Director of Medical Education at PMDC (Secretary); Prof. Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Vice-Chancellor of Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University; Prof. Dr. Ziaul Haq, Vice-Chancellor of Khyber Medical University; Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, Executive Director of the Inter-Board Coordination Commission; Dr. Muhammad Tanveer Afzal, IT Consultant at PTA; and Ahmed Raza, Deputy Director at PMDC.
The panel is tasked with addressing challenges related to MDCAT 2024, proposing recommendations for a centralized approach, and focusing on enhancing transparency and IT-based solutions. It will also develop strategies for a uniform syllabus and question bank, with the chairman authorized to co-opt additional members as needed.
Although the meeting agenda included briefings on the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital’s performance and legislative matters concerning health services, these discussions were postponed due to the prevailing law and order situation in Islamabad.
The session was attended by MNAs Dr. Shazia, Sobia Aslam Soomro, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Dr. Shaista Khan, Dr. Darshan, Sabheen Ghoury, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Aliya Kamran, Farah Naz Akbar, and Raja Khurram Shehzad Nawaz, alongside senior officials from the Ministry of National Health Services and its attached departments.