ISLAMABAD: While Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has alleged that the defunct Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) did nothing to get accreditation from the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), the documentary evidence showed that the PMDC had initiated the process which could not be completed owing to the council’s suspension and subsequent dissolution.

The PMC, which has recently initiated the accreditation process, released a statement on Monday, saying that the PMC was working in close coordination with the US regulatory authorities to ensure that there would be no hindrance to the accreditation of Pakistani medical graduates in the US.

It claimed that the erstwhile PMDC did not apply for the accreditation as it warned against rumour mongering. However, as per an official bulletin published by the PMDC ad-hoc council in 2018, it was announced that “PMDC is a member of WFME through Association for Medical Education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (AMEEMR) and is in the process of getting recognition of WFME”.

The bulletin further stated that the “matters regarding accreditation of the PMDC with WFME has been taken up by the ad-hoc council, which was earlier discontinued. Application for accreditation has been submitted to WFME”.

Defunct council’s official rejects claims

Former PMDC president Dr Shabbir Lehri told Dawn that he had started the process in 2017 and even submitted Rs7 million in fees for the planned inspection visit.

“In 2016, I went to the US and the authorities concerned expressed apprehensions about the standards and quality of education in the Pakistani medical colleges; however, I assured them that their concerns will be removed,” Dr Lehri said.

“Later a delegation headed by WFME President Prof Dr David Gordan visited Pakistan and we arranged their visit to CMH Rawalpindi, CMH Lahore and Aga Khan University in Karachi,” he said.

The delegation was impressed and it was decided that an inspection team will visit Pakistan for which an amount of Rs7 million was deposited as the inspection fee, he said, adding that the visit did not materialise because the PMDC was dissolved.

Dr Lehri suggested that stakeholders from the health sector should be involved to get the accreditation of WFME, otherwise Pakistan may miss the deadline.

It is worth mentioning here that the Lahore High Court through its order dated Dec 7, 2017, dissolved a 35-member council of the PMDC. An ad-hoc council was constituted with seven members headed by former Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan.

The PMDC was first dissolved through the Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance 2019, and replaced later by Pakistan Medical Commission Act 2020.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2022