The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ad hoc committee is to hold its first meeting on Thursday, as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
Some of the agenda items include the consideration of applications of new medical and dental colleges, faculty migration cases and the conduction of the National Examination Board (NEB) for foreign graduates.
The PMDC governing body was dissolved by SC on Jan 12 and a nine-member ad hoc committee, chaired by retired Justice Shakirullah Jan, was formed to run the affairs of the council. The court directed for the ad hoc committee to hold its first meeting on Jan 18 and that the incumbent PMDC registrar is to continue working.
Mr Jan travelled to Islamabad from Karachi early morning on Jan 14 and visited his new office. The council staff was also called to the office.
According to agenda for the meeting on Thursday, available with Dawn, the ad hoc committee will consider the minutes of the various council meetings held since September last year as well as the applications of 16 new medical colleges.
There are currently 156 medical and dental colleges in Pakistan of which 101 are private. Most of the new applications are also for private institutions.
The council will also discuss the migration of faculty members from one college to another.
The former council had imposed a ban on the frequent transfer of faculty members because at times, a whole department would migrate from one college to another, posing problems for students.
The meeting is also to consider the Performa for 100 MBBS students for the first inspection of colleges along with no-objection certificates for students of the Allama Iqbal Open University to study abroad in medical colleges after their F.Sc will also be considered.
Another agenda item is to decide the matter of adjustment of students studying in Al-Razi Medical College, Peshawar as well as the issue of NEB exams.
NEB is conducted by PMDC for those medical graduates who study from abroad.
The exam was started after complaints were received that doctors who study in languages other than English face problems when treating patients. There were also complaints regarding the quality of education they receive.
Through an act of parliament in 2012, it was made mandatory for foreign graduates to pass the NEB. However, exemption was granted for those holding certain qualifications such as the diploma of the American Board and UK`s FRCS. Foreign graduates have protested against the NEB a number of times since and have alleged that the council was involved in corruption and nepotism during the exams.
The previous council management had changed the exam pattern and also decided that the results will be announced without delay. The NEB is held by the National University of Medical Sciences.
Tall(ing to Dawn late Wednesday night, Mr Jan said he was still working and was preparing for the ad hoc committee`s first meeting.
