The members of the Standing Committee on Health have recommended canceling the medical and dental colleges admissions test (MDCAT), given the flood situation in the country.
They opined that the students were worried about the flood and that MDCAT could not be conducted under these conditions.
The meeting of the Standing Committee on Health of the National Assembly was chaired by MNA Afzal Khan.
In the meeting, the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) and the Nursing Council gave a detailed briefing on the situation of the hospitals and flood victims. Chairman DRAP, Asim Rauf, told the committee that the Ministry of Health had sent medicines to the affected areas. He further said that the Authority was trying to reduce our dependence on India and China for medicines.
In the meeting, committee member Zahra Wadood pointed out that there is a shortage of nurses in Pakistan. She claimed that senior nurses resorted to moving abroad to find employment. She requested the committee to hold a meeting to discuss the shortage of nurses and other nursing council problems.
While briefing the committee, the health officials recommended that the issue of the Pakistan Medical Council should be discussed with the president. In response, Zahra Wadood said that the PMC does not exist and it would be a lie to claim that PMC is working as a regulator.
The committee decided to hold a meeting to resolve the issues of the nursing council.
