The Senate Standing Committee on Health passed the bill for the restoration of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Tuesday. The development comes a few days after the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, dissolved the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC).
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Senator Kauda Babar tabled the bill titled “The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Amendment Bill, 2022.” Although Chairman Committee, Senator Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, opposed the bill, it was approved by majority votes.
Under the PMDC Amendment Bill 2022, provinces will hold their own Medical and Dental College Admission Tests (MDCATs) for admissions to MBBS and BDS programs at medical and dental colleges and universities.
The National Licensing Exam (NLE) has also been abolished. The NLE was was mandatory for all medical graduates for obtaining a full license as a General Practitioner.
The PMDC will appoint members from all provinces, health bodies, and universities. Previously, the members of the PMC were appointed by the Prime Minister.
In October 2019, PMDC was dissolved and replaced by PMC through a Presidential Ordinance titled Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance 2019.
In February 2020, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dissolved the PMC and restored the PMDC. In September, a joint session of the Parliament dissolved the PMDC and restored the PMC.
And now, the PMC has been dissolved and PMDC has been restored, leaving students confused over the status of MDCAT 2022 which the PMC had scheduled from 7 to 30 September.
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