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| June 8, 2005 | Wednesday | Rabi-us-Sani 30, 1426 |
PMDC secy records evidence: Senate body meets
ISLAMABAD, June 7: Startling disclosures about collusion of health ministry and private medical institutions to influence the Senate were made before a sub-committee of the Senate standing committee on health as it recorded the evidence of the suspended secretary of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Monday.
“The chief whip of the ruling party, on the behest of ministry of health played a vital role to damage the image of (the) prestigious council...” said Dr Sohail Hashmi, PMDC suspended secretary PMDC in a written statement which was signed by five senators and made part of the official record.
When contacted and asked for views on the allegation against his person, chief whip of Pakistan Muslim League(Q), Senator Kamil Ali Agha said he would respond to Dr Hashmi’s statement after seeing it.
The senators who signed the statement of Dr Hashmi and made it part of record included the sub-committee chairman, Dr Abdullah Riar, Dr Nighat Agha, Rozina Alam, Dr Kauser Firdous and Dr Azizullah Satakzai.
Dr Hashmi told the sub-committee that Senate was provided wrong information about the problem of registration of Islamabad Medical College, graduates of Baqai Medical University Karachi and his attitude.
He said the Senate passed a resolution for his suspension on wrong statements. He said when the allegation of misbehaviour with protesting students was made, he was not present in his office and had gone to the law ministry.
“Ministry (health) and influential politicians are patronising this illegally established medical college and providing them full support at all forums,” Dr Hashmi said in his written statement.
“Minister for health and secretary health visited unrecognised institutions in clear violation of Cabinet Division instructions,” Dr Hashmi told the sub-committee.
Dr Hashmi said the health minister personally called the late President of PMDC “many time for recognition of this college to accommodate influential personalities.”
He accused the health ministry of not forwarding the proposed draft of the PMDC Act for enactment and wanted to make amendments of its “own choice to cripple the autonomy of the council by incorporating more control of the federal government.”
He said the proposed amendments were pending with the ministry since June 2004.
Dr Hashmi said the council had been successful in sustaining the pressure of the health ministry, politicians, bureaucrats and other influential elements.
Dr Hashmi told the sub-committee that a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, who is a nominee of the Chief Justice of Pakistan on the council, termed as “illegal and unlawful” a notification by health ministry for his repatriation.
Dr Hashmi told the sub-committee that the council had been targeted by a joint private medical colleges association to take over the control of PMDC and completely denigrate its functions.
“After repeated dismissal of their writ petitions in high courts, the private medical institutions have focussed their efforts on the health ministry,” Dr Hashmi said.
He informed the sub-committee that a previous secretary of PMDC, who is under trial with NAB for embezzlement of Rs68 million, was now writing letters in the press and had become the “chief adviser for the private medical institutions.”
He said private medical colleges were making millions by deceiving innocent students and parents.
“It is a great misfortune for the profession and the nation that the association of private medical colleges has now been able to secure the support of the health ministry,” he said.
To increase pressure on the council, Dr Hashmi said, the Sindh government withdrew the membership of provincial secretary health and instead nominated president of Private Medical College Association, Dr Asim Hussain, owner of Ziauddin University and Hospital.
“This was done to design the entry of President of Private Medical College Association into the Council,” he said.
Moreover, he said the nomination of the owner of private medical college by the Sindh government was managed only a day before the council was to hold elections for its president. He said the ministry of health notified the nomination “without any letter addressed to them (PMDC) in the middle of the night.”
Dr Hashmi told the sub-committee that private medical institutions were located in small campuses without any decent infrastructure and almost no qualified faculty in certain disciplines.
“The only way to make enormous profits by the private medical colleges is to bypass the regulations of the council, which are binding on all institutions according to law and Supreme Court Judgments,” he said.
In response to a question by Senator Dr Riar, Dr Hashmi told the sub-committee of the 25 medical colleges with provisional recognition, only Aga Khan University was fully recognised by PMDC.
When Dr Riar asked the suspended secretary if recognition was given to Mohammadi Medical College on the pressure of former Vice Chief of Army Staff, Gen (retd) Mohammad Yousaf, Dr Hashmi said it was conveyed to the council through the director-general, health, and after resisting pressure for two years, the PMDC gave it recognition.
When Dr Riar asked about the role played by Lt-Gen (retd) Zulfiqar in getting recognition for the Islamic International Medical College, Dr Hashmi said he tried to resist the pressures.
In response to a question by Dr Riar how recognition was given to medical colleges whose owners including Prof A.J.Khan, Prof Kabir and Prof Jadoon had influence on the council, the secretary said the council gave the approvals.
Pakistan Medical Association’s (PMA) representative, Dr Sher Shah Syed informed the committee that vested interest groups had hijacked the government and were forcing the PMDC to recognise institutions which did not fulfil the criteria.
The sub-committee chairman observed that private medical institutions had become a “fund sucking mechanism for the elite.”
The sub-committee observed that no compromise should be made on imparting quality education in the field of medicine.
The members of the sub-committee decided to visit different private medical institutes to ascertain their standard and the quality of education before finalising recommendations for submission to the Senate committee.
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