ISLAMABAD: A meeting between medical graduates from China and a committee set up on the directions of Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar ended in a deadlock on Monday.

Over 400 graduates, who obtained their MBBS degrees from China, have been demanding that they should be issued the certificate of registered medical practitioner (RMP) from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

But PMDC is of the view that the graduates should first clear the National Examination Board (NEB) exam, which is held to evaluate the competency of foreign graduates. Besides, it says, there is a ruling passed by Islamabad High Court asking the graduates to appear in the test.

On Monday, the graduates held a sit-in in front of the PMDC offices and blocked one side of the road.

Committee formed by health ministry says protesting doctors should either file appeal against IHC ruling or sit mandatory test for registration

On December 1 and 2, the graduates held protest demonstrations after which the health minister set up the committee, comprising Director General Health Dr Assad Hafeez, member PMDC Dr Abid Farooqi and Khashiur Rehman from the Law Division.

At a meeting on Monday, the committee concluded that the graduates should appear in the exam or file an appeal with the IHC against its verdict.

Mohammad Muneeb, one of the medical graduates, told Dawn that on December 2 it was decided that a meeting of the committee would be held in the health ministry at 11am on December 7.

“We gathered in front of the PMDC in the morning and then some of us went to the ministry. When we reached there at 11am, no one was aware of the meeting. We stayed in the ministry while the other graduates blocked the road in front of the PMDC,” he said.

As a result, he added, the ministry officials started contacting the members of the committee and finally the meeting started at 3:30pm.

He said three representatives of the graduates participated in the meeting but the members of the committee did not listen to them. “Within 10 minutes, they advised us to leave saying it would not be in the interest of the graduates if they continued the protest,” he said.

Another graduate, Noman Javed, said the committee members were not ready to even discuss the issue.

“We tried to show them the documents of the PMDC in which it was clearly stated that graduates from Chinese universities would be exempted from the NEB test. One of the committee members requesting not to be identified told Dawn that at the start of the meeting an official of the PMDC showed the verdict of the high court which stated that the graduates should sit the exam.

The official explained that medical universities in China were recognised by the PMDC due to which a number of students went to that country to pursue the MBBS degree. However, in 2012, the rules were changed and the graduates were advised to sit the NEB test. The graduates moved the court which also ruled that the students should appear in the test. Some of the students have cleared the NEB test and are practicing.

“The PMDC official was of the view that it would be contempt of the court if the graduates are registered without the clearance of NEB. The law ministry official also said in the presence of the court order the PMDC cannot register the medical graduates,” he added.

The graduates were sitting on the road when this report was filed on Monday evening.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2015