ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The government has appointed Dr Raja Amjad Mehmood as the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council registrar in a bid to handle the current administrative crisis at the council.

Dr Mahmood is currently working as the Joint Executive Director (JED) at Children Hospital of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

PMDC, the country’s highest body regulating the field of medicine, is continually under criticism for registering 19 medical colleges in a single day.

The matter is currently being probed by the Regulations and Services Ministry.

Regulations and Services Secretary Imtiaz Inayat Elahi told Dawn that the council had asked the ministry to suggest an individual for the post of the PMDC registrar but since it had no individual of such a high qualification as desired by the council so I referred the matter to establishment division.”

Mr Elahi said the Establishment Division had decided about the appointment of the new PMDC registrar on its own and that services of a senior doctor (Dr Mahmood) from the Capital Administration and Development Ministry had been hired by it on merit. A senior official at the Establishment Division said: “We need a strict administrator (at PMDC) with a transparent career and Dr Mahmood was recommended by the federal government for the position after thorough scrutiny.”

He said Dr Mahmood had been specifically directed to ensure transparency at the PMDC department issuing registration to medical colleges.

When asked about the fate of Dr Nadeem Akbar, the outgoing PMDC registrar, the regulations and services secretary said Dr Akbar was suspended by the council of PMDC and the ministry had nothing to do with the affairs of the council.