RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Thursday directed Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to stop medical colleges from using students as shield against the college’s failure in fulfilling criteria set for running a medical school.

The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations met here with Senator Sajjad Turi in the chair declared that those medical colleges facing ban for not fulfilling the criteria set by PMDC should not be allowed to exploit the students.

A number of private medical colleges in the country often exploit the students after they are barred from enrolling students for their failure in fulfilling the laid down standards set by PMDC for establishing a medical college.

The committee took up the issue of 20 private medical colleges across the country banned from granting further admission to students seeking medical education.

The PMDC officials briefed the panel about the steps taken by them to ensure that no medical school is allowed to function without fulfilling the set procedure. They said that PMDC does not register colleges which fail to meet the inspection criteria, but this does not apply to students enrolled previously.

The meeting was informed that PMDC officials personally visit all the concerned colleges and registration is granted to those which fulfill the criteria.

The committee members observed that those students who despite being warned seek admission in such colleges and should not be later used as shields in the court cases.

State Minister for National Health Services, Saira Afzal Tarar said that all stakeholders must come together and find out a solution to the matter. She said that reforms including revised evaluation and inspection forms for private medical college standards are under process and will soon be sent to all private and public sector colleges.

The chairman of the committee directed that policies should be revisited and the committee be kept updated in order to ensure smooth functioning of the medical schools and stop exploitation of the students by the private school mafias.

The committee was also briefed about vacant post of in-charge HOTA [Human Organs Transplant Authority]. The officials informed that the position is currently lying vacant as the previously appointed in-charge had resigned due to his inability to prove himself innocent against the allegations levelled against him.

The post was re-advertised in July last but only five applications were received. All five applicants did not fulfill the required criteria. The chairman committee said that post should be re-advertised or other appropriate measures should be taken to fill the post with an eligible person.

The national manager of TB Control Programme briefed the committee about its role/function, budget and free of cost facilities to general public. He said 510,000 patients as of 2016 were diagnosed with the disease.

They are being provided free of cost treatment.

Moreover, 155 machines have been installed that will help diagnose drug resistant TB. He termed lack of awareness about proper medication among the general public as the major reason behind the alarming expansion of the disease recently.