Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination was held here at Parliament House on Tuesday with Senator Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand in the Chair.
The Senate body passed the Bill titled “The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Bill, 2022” by majority votes which was introduced by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Senator Kauda Babar. However, the Chairman Committee gave his dissent on the Bill.
Minister For National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC), Abdul Qadir Patel maintained that under the Bill, Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) will be conducted by provinces through Public Universities and the Council will have representation of all provinces, health bodies and universities.
He further added that this bill will abolish the previous practice in which the members were nominated by Prime Minister.
Furthermore, the Bill will also repeal the National Licensing Examination which was conducted to provide Licenses to medical students of the native universities.
The Committee also passed by majority votes of ratio 7:1 the Bill titled “The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), 2022” introduced by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla.
Abdul Qadir Patel, Minister for NHSRC commented that the bill will repeal the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes Act 2021 and its autonomous position and will come under the direct control of the ministry. He further added that the former act has made the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad disastrous, one which could not procure even an MRI machine from last one year.
