Lawmakers urged to reject PMDC ordinance.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- After the matter was taken up by the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS), Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has stressed making Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) an autonomous, independent, transparent, democratic and vibrant body to regulate medical education in a transparent way.

The association urged members of parliamentary committees in both houses of parliament to play their role in rejecting the presidential ordinance through which the new body of PMDC has been established.

PMA is a representative body of medical practitioners and has divisional, provincial and central chapters. Moreover, it has 128 ancillary bodies which have representation of doctors. Each of Karachi and Lahore bodies has over 10,000 members.

PMA Secretary General (central) Dr Qaisar Sajjad told Dawn that apart from other steps it had been decided to hold a meeting with heads of political parties to brief them on the issue.

'As the PMA has members across the country so they will meet parliamentarians in all the provinces and convince them to reject the ordinance,' he said.

On Jan 5, President Dr Arif Alvi promulgated the 'PMDC Ordinance 2019' under which a 17-member council would deal with issues related to medical colleges, attached hospitals and health professionals.

On March 13, Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal Bhutta was elected as president and Prof Dr Amer Zaman Khan as vice president for a term of three years. As the ordinance has to sail through parliament, the 'The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Bill 2019' was tabled in Senate and referred to the standing committee on March 7.

On May 13, the Senate Standing Committee on NHS recalled that the Supreme Court in a verdict had observed that promulgation of the PMDC Ordinance would be a fraud.

Committee Chairman Mian Ateeq Sheikh had alleged that a number of points were deliberately included in the ordinance to benefit some elements while...