ISLAMABAD: Following the launch of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) updated online portal, the council has decided to issue e-certificates for licence renewals and Good Standing Certificates (GSC) to medical practitioners.

The PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj has directed the IT team to develop and implement e-certificates for license renewals and GSC, reinforcing the Council’s commitment to a more efficient and user-friendly experience for medical and dental practitioners.

According to a statement, the move will modernize the PMDC’s registration processes by introducing a digital system for the issuance of essential documents.

“By transitioning to e-certification, the PMDC aims to drastically reduce processing times, making it quicker and more convenient for practitioners to obtain their renewed licences and GSC. The certificates, previously took days, will now be issued in no time, ensuring that doctors experience minimal disruption,” it stated.

“Under the new system, the issuance time for renewed licence is expected to be reduced to six to seven days, while GSC will be processed within one or two days.

Additionally, the enhanced digital infrastructure will allow the PMDC to efficiently handle up to 300-400 applications per day, further increasing operational efficiency,” it stated.

The PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said that the current manual processing of licence renewals and GSC was time-consuming and resource-intensive.

“With advancements in digital technology, there will be an opportunity to streamline these processes by manually processing and mailing hard copies, to online application submission, electronic certificate generation, and direct electronic delivery to the applicant or the relevant authority with enhanced security features,” he said.

He added that the decision has also been made to cut printing and mailing costs, which will help reduce paper usage. It will provide a more convenient, transparent, and user-friendly application process and more enhanced digital security measures to prevent fraud or forgery.

Since the inception of the updated portal in June 2024, a total 17,524 renewal cases have been received from which 16,692 cases have been completed and issued. Over the past two months, nearly 5,063 doctors and dentists have applied for GSC, with 4,891 cases successfully issued. Medical professionals often require a GSC to practice abroad, apply for jobs, or pursue further education in other countries.

Furthermore, Dr Taj stated that directions have been given to the IT staff to start preparing for the implementation of e-certification on a war footing. This preparation phase includes developing the necessary technological infrastructure, training staff, and ensuring that all processes are aligned with the new system.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2024