Islamabad:National Health Services (NHS) minister Mustafa Kamal visited the main offices of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) here and learned about the organisation's operations and advancements since its reconstitution in April 2023.
PMDC president Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj said the regulator was committed to improving medical and dental education in the country, focusing on aligning curricula with international best practices.
He said the updated standards for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental education emphasised student-centred learning, competency-based education, and the introduction of key subjects such as professionalism, ethics and communication skills.
Prof. Dr. Taj said the PMDC had set mandatory requirements for institutions to establishresearch departments and outreach centres, enhancing students' engagement in community services at the grassroots level.
The minister acknowledged those accomplishments but voiced concern about the overall quality of healthcare services, particularly the emotional impact on patients due to the sometimes-unsympathetic attitude of healthcare professionals.
He said the role of doctors went beyond clinical expertise; they must also be compassionate, empathetic and communicative. Kamal highlighted the importance of training healthcare practitioners in professionalism, ethics and communication skills to ensure that patients not only receive the best medical care but also feel understood and supported throughout their journey.
He called for the development of a framework where doctors are not only highly skilled but also highly compassionate. The minister proposed that professionalism and communication skills be integrated as mandatory components of medical training and practice to ensure that doctors, in their role as caregivers, focus not only on healing but also on providing emotional and psychological support to patients.
He also stressed the urgent need to leverage technology in healthcare and said telemedicine platforms should be established across the country, enabling patients to access consultations remotely and receive prescribed medications via telehealth applications.