ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to declare it mandatory for medical colleges to establish departments of family medicine.

Moreover, it has suggested integrating 75 teaching hours of family medicine into the undergraduate medical curriculum. The council convened a meeting on Thursday to review the strategic role of family medicine in strengthening Primary Healthcare (PHC) and advancing Pakistan’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr Rizwan Taj, President PMDC, and attended by the Registrar Dr Rehan Naqvi, along with representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), including Dr Saira Tariq, WHO Consultant and Dr Naveed Asghar, Team Lead Health System Development, WHO Pakistan.

According to a statement, participants underscored the growing importance of family medicine in addressing Pakistan’s evolving healthcare challenges, including the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions, maternal and child health needs, and the healthcare demands of an ageing population.

The committee reviewed the significant reforms introduced by the PMDC since its reconstitution under the leadership of Prof. Dr Rizwan Taj.

Key initiatives include the mandatory establishment of departments of family medicine in medical colleges with defined faculty requirements incorporated into accreditation standards, the integration of 75 teaching hours of family medicine into the undergraduate medical curriculum, the requirement for three outreach centres for all institutions, and the introduction of a three-year optional house job rotation pathway to strengthen primary care training and community-based healthcare delivery. “These landmark measures reflect PMDC’s commitment to developing a healthcare workforce equipped to provide comprehensive, continuous, and patient-centred care at the community level,” it stated.

The president of PMDC reaffirmed the council’s commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen family medicine and enhance the quality of primary healthcare services across Pakistan.

“The WHO representatives emphasised the critical role of Family Medicine as a cornerstone of effective, equitable, and people-centred health systems worldwide,” it stated.

Reiterating PMDC’s commitment to healthcare excellence, Dr Taj emphasised that strengthening family medicine remained central to building an accessible, equitable, and resilient healthcare system for Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026