Zubair Qureshi
Islamabad
After much criticism by legislators, media and doctors across the country, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government went on back foot Thursday and withdrew the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) Ordinance 2019 from the Upper House.
This was the same ordinance that the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) had approved two days earlier.
The bill had faced severe criticism by opposition senators who unanimously disapproved the PMDC Ordinance during a debate on a resolution moved by Sherry Rehman.
The house was of the view that a nomination based regulatory body consisting of the blue-eyed individuals of the government was nothing but disaster for medical fraternity.
They saw serious flaws in the ordinance promulgated in haste. Besides, the criteria for nominations and conditions of de-notification under certain clauses was not clearly defined, which led to serious misuse of powers and denotificationson whims and wishes of superiors. Equal representation to all stake holders was not given.
Ex- officio members of Provincial Health Departments, nominee of Chief Justice of Pakistan and representatives of National Assembly, Senate of Pakistan (public representatives) were also missing.
Compulsory golden handshake for employees was enforced, in sheer violation of basic human rights which led to few forceful terminations and atmosphere of harassment amongst remaining.
Withdrawal of the PMDC Ordinance 2019 has brought relief to the doctors serving not only in Pakistan but also overseas as their registrations and licences largely depended on the previous PMDC Ordinance of 1962 and if the Upper House had passed the new ordinance they would have to renew their licenses as well as registrations that could have jeopardized a large number’s career.
A press release issued by the Senate on Thursday in order to do face saving termed withdrawal of the ordinance a right move of the government and called it a matter of serious concern that in the past wrong policies of previous governments led to deterioration of standard of medical education and practice in the country.
