ISLAMABAD – The federal government on Sunday dissolved the existing body of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and established a new organization, Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), to regulate the medical profession in the country.
According to an official of the ministry of national health services, President Dr Arif Alvi signed a new ordinance titled ‘Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance 2019’ in order to regulate and control the medical profession by establishing a uniform minimum standard of medical education and training and recognition of qualifications in medicine and dentistry.
He added that the current PMDC had to be dissolved for the implementation of the new ordinance and the government had directed the temporary shutting down of the offices of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.
This would ensure the protection of essential records and assets of PMDC while the offices would remain closed for one week, he added.
He said the PMC would be a body corporate consisting of the Medical and Dental Council, the National Medical and Dental Academic board and the National Medical Authority, which would act as a Secretariat of the Commission.
The government has acted immediately to protect the extremely important records relating to licensing and registration of all medical and dental practitioners in Pakistan as well as the records of medical and dental educational institutions in view of the approval of the new Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance. The new medical commission was expected to start operations within a week.
He regretted on the inconvenience caused to practitioners and made it clear that it was essential to protect the original records and assets of PMDC which was the priority and responsibility of the government.
In order to ensure that no inconvenience was caused to ongoing medical and dental admissions, the ministry of national health services, regulation and coordination would be taking necessary steps immediately for the supervision and overseeing of the admissions process to ensure it is properly completed, he added.
