The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has issued a factsheet explaining the reforms that it made for the advancement of medical education and transparency in the country.
After receiving backlash from the medical fraternity and students, the PMC claims to have renewed 43,198 licenses, issued 6,685 new licenses to doctors and dentists, processed 1,986 applications for registration of the Postgraduate Clinical Qualification, granted provisional licenses to 3,876 foreign medical students to practice, and granted 1,699 foreign medical students full licenses to practice in Pakistan.
According to the fact-sheet, the PMC has taken a number of initiatives since its establishment in September 2020, including declaring the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) compulsory and launching the National Licensing Examination (NLE) which was mandatory for obtaining a license to practice in the country.
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Additionally, the PMC claims to have introduced a centralized admission policy for merit-based enrollments.
It also increased 550 seats in the public-sector medical colleges, allowed medical practitioners to revalidate their license every five years, and introduced a policy for foreign medical practitioners to acquire licenses for practice in the country, the fact-sheet added.
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The fact-sheet reveals that an online portal had been launched to allows stakeholders to access the PMC’s services, and biometric verification is also being introduced to protect the digital profile of healthcare practitioners. A National Medical Scholarship Fund worth Rs. 250 million has also been established for needy students.
