Creation of task force on education beyond present government’s constitutional powers: PIMA

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the creation of ‘Taskforce on Medical Education and Patient Care’, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has advised the caretaker government to perform its constitutional responsibilities and leave the reforms in the health and medical education sectors to the elected government.

“The creation of Taskforce on Medical Education and Patient Care is beyond the powers given to the caretaker government in the Constitution of Pakistan. On one hand, creation of this task force is a violation of the Constitution and on the other, its Chairman and members don’t represent the entire medical education sector in Pakistan,” a spokesman for the PIMA said in a statement on Sunday.

It is worth mentioning here that Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) last week notified a 12-member Taskforce on Medical Education and Patient Care with Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Amir Bilal as its chairman and empowered its members to look into affairs of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSP), all medical Universities, Sehat Sahulat Program, affairs of healthcare commissions etc.

The PIMA spokesman urged the prime minister and the chief justice to take stock of the illegal notification issued by the ministry of health regarding constitution of the taskforce on medical education and direct it to refrain from taking steps beyond its powers.