PMA delegation meets Health Minister.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Islamabad on Friday appealed to the Minister for National Health Services to repeal the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) Act, 2020, and restore the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Act 2012.

In a meeting with Minister for National Health Services, Qadir Patel, a delegation of PMA led by President PMA Dr. Akhtar Ali Bandesha expressed the hope that all genuine demands of doctors will be accepted by the present government and revise the PMC and MTI laws.

The delegation appealed to the minister to restore the old service structure and experience-based promotion policy for doctors in the federal and provincial hospitals. He also asked to make the health allowance of doctors as per their basic salaries as such policy was being implemented in other government organizations.

Dr. Bandesha said that the Federal Medical Teaching Institution (FMTI) Act, 2021, which was introduced by the past government aimed at promoting nepotism and favoritism. He added this act has damaged the service structure of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff besides increasing difficulties for patients.

During the meeting, the matter of the National Licensing Examination (NLE) was also discussed besides a detailed discussion on the categorization system of government and private medical colleges by PMC.

He said that the PMC should start the old final registration system after house jobs for doctors instead of the prevailing faulty National Licensing Exam (NLE), which is now mandatory for medical students.

The delegation also discussed the matter of centralized MDCAT examination for admission in medical colleges all over Pakistan and increased minimum merit up to 65%. The delegation demanded the...