ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to hold National Examination Board (NEB) test for dental practitioners registration at Saheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (Pims) on April 6.

The PMDC conducts NEB test for those medical graduates who pass exam from abroad. The procedure was introduced after the council received a number of complaints that foreign medical graduates who study in languages other than English face problem in treating the patients. Moreover there were also complaints about the quality of education.

In 2012, it was made mandatory through an Act of Parliament that foreign graduates have to pass NEB.

However, some postgraduate qualifications like diploma of American Board, FRCS (UK) or equivalent are exempted from NEB.

PMDC has also setup a grievance redress cell for all foreign medical and dental graduates who have or are going to appear in NEB. According to PMDC, the purpose of establishing this cell is to address issues faced by foreign graduates who will appear in the exam and register any complaints regarding the NEB exam.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2016