ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has decided to implement widespread reforms to enhance institutional efficiency, address operational challenges and formulate measures to improve transparency and service delivery across the organisation.
To protect the public from financial loss, the examination department has been urgently directed to place an appropriate alert on the official PMDC website warning candidates against fraudulent and fake MDCAT portals.
The decisions were made during a recent meeting chaired by PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj. During the meeting, each department head presented a detailed briefing on progress achieved, pending matters, staff punctuality, operational issues and proposed reforms.
According to a statement, the finance department was directed to prioritise the verification of financial documents relating to medical and dental colleges, as well as applications concerning dual fee payments and fee refunds.
Medical negligence cases to be prioritised for swift justice
A dedicated tracking system, in coordination with the IT department, will be introduced to facilitate the timely disposal of such cases.
The IT department was additionally tasked with developing an online inspection portal on a priority basis, alongside a dashboard to monitor inspection progress and general updates for the minister in charge.
Moving forward, weekly reports on pending complaints received through the Complaint Management System will be submitted to the president every Friday.
While Mr Taj appreciated the licensing department for its prompt disposal of cases, he directed the department to further reduce any remaining pendency by expediting renewal cases and processing licence extensions on a priority basis.
Addressing the legal department, the council emphasised that complaints involving medical negligence or loss of life during treatment must be dealt with urgently to ensure the expeditious dispensation of justice. Dedicated software solutions for the legal and disciplinary committee sections will also be developed.
The inspection department was instructed to undertake digitisation initiatives and design master trainer programmes.
The faculty department was directed to reactivate inactive faculty members through coordination with medical and dental institutions. Measures were approved to eliminate duplicate entries and verify active faculty records.
The validation department was instructed to present details of pending verifications in the next meeting and to resolve issues relating to fees deposited under incorrect heads.
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026