ISLAMABAD: Allegations of embezzlement in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will be investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Minister of State for National Health Services (NHS) Saira Afzal Tarar said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference held to announce the modalities of the newly-constituted PMDC executive council, she said that the new management will work to streamline all of PMDC’s issues and has been authorised to hire new personnel or carry on with the existing team.

Following a two-year tussle between the PMDC and the health ministry, the former’s executive committee was dissolved through a presidential ordinance, issued on Aug 28.

On Monday, Ms Tarar claimed that the PMDC had never cooperated with the ministry; to the extent that even when the ministry demanded a list of registered medical colleges, PMDC had gone to court, stating that the ministry was interfering in its affairs.

Health minister announces modalities of new law; says ‘everyone knows’ who was behind corruption in the council

“Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah (in Sept 2014) had decided to appoint a commission to look into PMDC’s affairs. The three-member commission consisted of former federal minister Dr Sania Nishtar, former federal secretary Ejaz Raheem and physician Dr Syed Fazl-i-Hadi,” she said.

“The commission made its recommendations after a detailed probe, which the ministry kept in mind while making the proposed law that was promulgated on Friday through a presidential ordinance,” she said.

“Under the new law, the number of executive council members will be reduced from 81 to 35. These will include one each representative from public sector colleges in all four provinces, Fata and Islamabad, as well as one representative each from private sector colleges in the same territories,” she said.

“The chief justice of Pakistan has been requested to nominate one member for the council; two members will represent patients and four nominees of federal government will also be part of the executive council. There will be one member each from the National Assembly and Senate,” she said.

“Of the 35 members, 20 will be elected while 15 will be nominated ex-officio on the basis of their expertise in different fields. The elections will be held under the representative of the chief justice of Pakistan,” she said.

Conflict of interest

“The most important point is that the new law will eliminate conflict of interest. Now, college owners and other stakeholders will not be able to become members of the executive council,” she said.

“Due to the 2012 legislation, the NHS ministry had no role in the PMDC, but under the new law, there is a provision that in the case of any blunder, conflict or controversy, the ministry will be able to step in and address the problem,” she said.

“The basic pre-condition for membership of the management committee is that none of the members should have served in the PMDC during the past five years. This measure is meant to ensure transparency and fore closes the possibility of a conflict of interest arising,” she said.

The Dr Asim connection

At the press conference, reporters repeatedly asked the minister about the speculation around arrest of former PMDC vice president Dr Asim Hussain. However, the minister, without taking any names, said, “Everyone knows who was behind corruption in the PMDC”.

“It was a coincidence that the presidential ordinance came just after Dr Asim’s arrest. The fact is that the Supreme Court ordered us to make a law within two days, so we did,” she said.

Commenting on the minister’s remarks, Young Doctors Association Punjab Spokesperson Dr Amir Bandesha, said: “PMDC was a very credible department until 2006. After Dr Asim Hussain joined, however, everything became worse. The management committee should begin the process of accountability, but they should ensure that the council’s elections are held within 120 days and that the council is handed over to credible medical practitioners.”

During the press conference, the minister was also confident that the government would be able to get the law passed from parliament.

“Although the PPP is against the new law, but we hope it will sail through parliament, even though PML-N doesn’t have a majority in the Senate,” she said.

Ms Tarar said that because of the controversial decisions taken by the council, the standard of education at medical colleges had continued to decline. She said that the new committee would decide who the PMDC registrar will be, but said that the ministry recognised Dr Nadeem Akbar as the legal occupant of that position.

Talking to Dawn, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Mirza Ali Azhar demanded that the new management committee have the PMDC audited through an independent auditor and there should be zero tolerance for corruption.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2015

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