The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has rejected the amendments moved by Senators Dilawar Khan, Faisal Saleem Rehman, and Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, regarding the bill titled “Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Bill 2022,” stating that bill cannot be amended once it is passed by the committee and further amendments can only be introduced by the Parliament.
The meeting of the Standing Committee was held at Parliament House on Wednesday with Senator Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand in the chair.
While deliberating on the issues faced by foreign medical graduates, the committee also directed the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) should help students get house jobs who have passed the National Licensing Exam (NLE).
Representatives of foreign medical graduates apprised the committee that under the PMC Act, NEB was a licensing exam, but after the passage of the PMDC Act, the NEB has been replaced by NLE, and students who passed the NEB exam have been asked to pass the NLE exam as well.
Dr. Mohmand recommended the PMC address the issues of graduates of foreign institutions and stressed that the role of the PMC is to facilitate and that it should not create hurdles.
Moreover, consideration of the bill titled “Prime University of Nursing Sciences Technology Islamabad 2022” was deferred till the next meeting owing to the absence of HEC officials.
In addition to that, the Senate committee deliberated on the Bill titled “Pakistan Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill 2022” in depth.
Secretary NHSRC said that a committee consisting of pharmaceutical stakeholders and experts has been formed to review the bill and it will also be presented before the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan for consideration next month.
Dr. Mohmand recommended the Ministry present its stance on the bill in the next meeting.
The committee also discussed the issues confronting Pharmacy Technician Institutes regarding the exams and registration in Pharmacy Council.
Officials of Pharmacy Technician Institutes appreciated the efforts of the Ministry in conducting the exams of 40,000 students and demanded that a schedule for the whole calendar year shall be drafted. Dr. Mohmand advised the Ministry to extend cooperation with institutes for the said purpose.
