ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee recalled on Monday that the Supreme Court had ruled that the promulgation of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Ordinance would be “fraud” with regards to the Constitution.

Members of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) also alleged that the new PMDC body was trying to bring corrupt individuals into the council.

The committee met to discuss The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Bill 2019, which was referred by the house on March 7.

The PMDC Ordinance 2019 was promulgated Jan 5 by President Dr Arif Alvi. It states that a 17-member council will deal with issues related to medical colleges, attached hospitals and health professionals.

Takes up case of private hospital established on charity land

On March 13, Dr Tariq Iqbal Bhutta was elected PMDC president and Dr Amer Zaman Khan was elected vice president for a three-year term. Because an ordinance also needs to be passed by parliament, a bill has been tabled in the Senate.

Senator Dr Mehr Taj Roghani from the PTI said that she has reservations about why selected members were nominated to the council rather than elected individuals. She also criticised a clause that said the council would make a tribunal with which complaints against the council will be filed.

The new ordinance allows members to be nominated rather than elected, which was previously the case.

Committee chair Senator Mian Ateeq Shaikh said that the new bill limits the council’s powers to basic health education and it will not be able to deal with higher education. He said this was a conspiracy to reduce the PMDC’s role.

“In 2012, an ordinance was passed which was declared a mistake, but now I assume a blunder is going to be made. I also have concerns about why parliamentarians are not part of the body as they were in the past. That is why such bills were rejected three times in the past,” he said.

While speaking to PPP lawmaker Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Senator Shaikh said Dr Mandhro should consult his party on whether it will pass this bill, and if not the committee would not waste its time.

However, PML-N Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq said it was the committee’s job to comment on the bill, and it should do so.

Senator Ashok Kumar said he had learned that the council was trying to bring back corrupt employees.

Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) representative Dr Riaz Janjua also told senators that the SC has already said that an attempt to pass the PMDC Ordinance would be fraud with the Constitution.

Details sought on Shifa hospital

Dr Asad Ashraf chaired the meeting during the discussion of an agenda item regarding the construction of Shifa International Hospital on charity land, which was raised by Senator Shaikh.

Senator Shaikh said the land was given for a charity hospital, but the hospital does not provide free treatment to patients. He said Shifa has also established a medical college and converted its hospital into a teaching hospital, and according to the rules therefore 50pc of the beds should be declared free for patients.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Executive Director Dr Raja Amjad, who attended the meeting, said that when he was PMDC registrar he refused to register the medical college because the hospital was not only supposed to be a charity hospital but its shares were floated through the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

“However, later not only was the medical college approved but it also became a university which was another violation. Moreover, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) allotted additional land to the hospital,” he said.

Senator Farooq suggested calling the PMDC management for its perspective. The committee has decided to call representatives from the hospital, PMDC and CDA with detailed reports.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2019