February 13, 2008	Wednesday	Safar 05, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 12: Doctors’ bodies have demanded that the government restructure the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) saying that the institution in its present shape is not in a position to address the issues of medical education and health practitioners and dispose of matters freely.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the senior office-bearers of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) said that the council’s members — largely coming through nominations — including those from private sector medical colleges and universities, were failing to improve the standard of medical education in the country and most of the time they did not observe the relevant criteria.

The central General Secretary of the PMA, Dr Habibur Rehman Soomro, Karachi PMA President Dr Aziz Khan Tank, Secretary Dr Samrina Hashmi and Pima President Dr Misbah ul Aziz and Secretary Dr Suhail Akhtar spoke at the press conference.

Dr Soomro said the PMDC was today dominated by representatives of the private sector and as such, it lacked a balance in its composition that was required to pay heed to the issues and initiate remedial measures.

He claimed that efforts were being made to keep away the elected members purposely, which was a conspiracy against professionalism and the meaningful dissemination of medical education in the country.

He said that private medical educational institutions were being given PMDC affiliation on loose grounds, which the government needed to check at the earliest. “Now, the private sector members are also trying to get the approved capacity of new admissions doubled without meeting the rules and criteria,” he added.

The speakers said that the federal health ministry should not sit as a silent spectator and move in, declaring the council an autonomous body working purely on a democratic basis, while making sure it does not accede to uncalled for demands and pressures.

The government was also urged to resolve the controversy prevailing over the commissioning of the one elected member, with speakers saying that the member should be allowed to participate in the meetings of the PMDC. “The government and the private sector should also be asked to observe the laid down procedures and rules towards standardised training of new medical professionals,” they added.

Some speakers also recommended that the PMDC should be dissolved and an interim set-up comprising members from civil society, the judiciary, media and medical professionals should review the regulations of the council and suggest corrective measures as well.