Inquiry initiated into rules’ violation, undue favour to certain colleges by defunct PM&DC
Zubair Qureshi
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated inquiry into affairs of the defunct Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) seeking record of the inspections of medical colleges conducted recently across the country.
In a letter dated Oct 14, 2019 addressed to the Registrar of the PM&DC under subject “Provision of Information U/S 19 of the NAO 1999 Inquiry Against the Concerned Management of the PM&DC And Others” a Deputy Director of the bureau has asked the Registrar of the Council to provide record of the inspection of medical and dental colleges.
The step has been taken after reports of irregularities and massive violations of rules by the defunct council in carrying out inspections of medical and dental colleges.
Pakistan Observer also reported those violations that have led to inquiry into the NAB affairs, the sources further said.
It is also learnt that gross irregularities were also highlighted in the inspection done by the inspection committee under PMDC ordinance 2019.
While talking to Pakistan Observer here on Sunday, sources said in order to conceal the record of the inspections from NAB some influential members of the PM&DC not only sealed the building of the council they also got the entire council dissolved to keep the matter pending.
In the said inspections, private sector institutions were greatly favoured . Ill-trained people were sent to different institutions to get the desired results.
The sources further revealed that the council’s ‘favourite’ inspectors approved more than 25 medical and dental colleges which were in litigation with PM&DC for many years.
The PM&DC ordinance 2019 and the council constituted under it were turned down by the Senate of Pakistan on August 29.
A senior doctor and former member of the PM&DC previous council said the government has promulgated another ordinance on the same subject in the name of Pakistan Medical Commission 2019.
This ordinance has provided unlimited powers to private sector he said adding again it would serve the private medical and dental colleges, he said.
Meanwhile, the NAB has also decided to probe assets of the owners of the private medical and dental colleges. The decision has been taken after reports of dubious inspections and influence by these private medical and dental colleges over the members of the previous council, it has been reliably learnt.
