KARACHI, Jan 19: The Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions has asked the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to stick to its foremost role of eradication of quackery from the country, says a press release.

It appealed to the ”federal government to take cognizance of such incidence and to avoid a major crisis between the PMDC and the private sector on the one hand and students and parents who benefit from private hospitals, colleges and universities as they provide 60 per cent of healthcare to the population”.

The PAPMDI held a meeting on Jan 17 which was attended by the representatives of Hamdard Medical and Dental College, Liaquat Ali Khan Memorial College of Dentistry, Ziauddin Medical College, Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Baqai Medical and Dental College and Sir Syed Medical College.

The PAPMDI said the decisions taken at the 97th council session of the PMDC were not what had been printed and conveyed to the representatives of these institutions at the time of meeting. “Certain deficiencies were pointed out in writing, which they were asked to rectify within six months. The deficiencies that were pointed out were minor and not gross,” says the press release.

In a telegram, sent to the federal minister of health and President General Pervez Musharraf, the PAPMDI says: “Reference to news-item in Dawn on Jan 17 suspension of recognition of private medical colleges...and prohibition to admission and also to hold examination. This action of the PMDC is atrocious and discriminatory and aimed to destroy careers and lives of country’s bright promising youths and for no fault of theirs as they were ready to appear in final professional medical examination after five years of hard and expensive study.”