Medical colleges to be annually categorized on quality by PMDC

Islamabad- Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to initiate annual categorization of all public and private medical and dental colleges of Pakistan, based on quality. According to an official of PMDC, all medical and dental colleges will be ranked into five categories from A+ to D on the basis of their performance indicators, facilities and faculty, to help students in making the right choice along with improving the quality of the colleges. The ranking will clearly speak of the college’s functionality and performance, along with pinpointing the flaws in the overall system.

To kick off the first phase, the council has decided to scrutinise all the existing public and private medical and dental colleges; this would be the largest inspection that has ever taken place in the country. All 167 colleges will be examined and new frameworks will be decided for the coming year.

The PMDC official said that the inspection system was developed to facilitate a transparent and open merit-based system, adding that these will be carried out on a periodical basis- an annual or three-year basis. He added that a new organogram of the organization was also developed, which had setup the needed departments, with each department being headed by a Head of Department. This head will be supervising different sections of the department and will ensure the best possible implementation of industry-related governance practices.

The official said that the council had also developed a policy to impose a revalidation requirement upon doctors in line with the international practises instead of renewing their licences after a specific period of time. This step will help doctors to keep themselves updated on the modern medical developments and techniques to provide the best quality treatment to their patients.

The council has also planned to introduce major IT-based reforms, as digital enablement was absent at the PMDC. Steps are being taken on an urgent basis to further enhance the efficacy of the council by employing a policy of automation and digitisation of resources. A digital portal was being designed to assist the masses in verifying doctor credentials such as their field of specialisation through a mobile app. This portal will also assist the public in submitting their complaints as well as reviewing the disciplinary actions taken in regards to their complaint, the official added.

Furthermore, the council will also install proprietary software for digitisation and electronic access to the registration processes initiated or undertaken by the council. These systems will enable students and doctors to renew as well as apply for their licences, along with obtaining different certification through a digital system. A proactive policy was also being developed to deal with the pending litigation, which included numerous court cases in a bid to resolve those disputes that could be easily dealt with by the PMDC itself, the official said.