Medical association calls on govt to stop pulling PMDC strings.

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD -- The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has called upon the government to make the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) an autonomous, democratic, transparent and independent body to improve medical education and produce competent doctors in the country.

At an urgent meeting held at the PMA House on Saturday, the association's members discussed the issues related to the reconstitution of PMDC and shared concern over the situation that had developed after a related bill was approved by the Senate.

The participants were of the view that the government should stop controlling the regulatory body. The council should be formed with democratic spirit and representation should be given to all stakeholders through the electoral process.

'The members stressed upon the government to make PMDC a powerful body to regulate medical education in the country without any political interference,' the PMA said in a press release.

Improvement in healthcare delivery system urged; political intervention blamed for worsening standards of medical education

Only an independent and powerful body can raise the standards of medical education to the international standards. 'The deteriorating standards of our medical education are just the result of political interference,' it added.

The meeting was presided over by Dr Hameedullah Khan and attended, among others, by Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, Dr Muhammad Shahid Shamim, Dr Syed Tipu Sultan, Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, Dr Sonia Naqvi, Dr Altaf Khatri, Dr Ismail Memon, Dr Abdul Rehman and Dr Hamid Manzoor.

Addressing the meeting, held through video link, PMA secretary general Dr Ghafoor Shoro urged the government to improve the healthcare delivery system.

The PMDC Bill was passed by a joint sitting of parliament and sent to President Arif Alvi for approval. In due course, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to constitute the PMDC by notification in the official gazette.

Composition of PMDC

The council will include three members from civil society to be...