29 April 2005	Friday	19 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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RAWALPINDI, April 28: The ministry of health on Thursday sent secretary Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Dr Sohail Karim Hashmi on forced leave for six months, an official in the ministry told Dawn. The official’s forced leave orders followed a unanimous Senate resolution on Wednesday calling for his suspension. Major (retired) Dr M. Rashid Anjum, who was serving as the deputy secretary of the PMDC, has been appointed as acting secretary of the council.

Dr Anjum’s appointment as acting PMDC secretary was also criticized by some quarters in the Pakistan Medical Association, who claimed that the replacement wouldn’t make much difference as he had been hired by Dr Hashmi on contract and was his close confidant.

Dr Hashmi’s departure marks the culmination of the medical colleges recognition scam that had hit the apex body of the medical profession.

There were allegations that the PMDC had recognised certain “medical colleges” who never fulfilled the criteria, whereas cases of several other institutions that deserved recognition on merit were routinely rejected on flimsy grounds.

The representatives of colleges that had been refused recognition had sometime ago met Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and singled out Dr Hashmi as the main cause of the problem.

The prime minister had ordered Dr Hashmi’s transfer, which could not materialise as the PMDC refused to relieve him.

Later at a meeting with the prime minister, the Pakistan Medical Association raised the issue of the PMDC affairs. It is said that the prime minister expressed disappointment and indignation over the situation and was told by the health ministry officials that the matter was being looked into.

However, the Wednesday’s Senate resolution proved to be the proverbial last straw and the official was sent packing on forced leave.