New PMDC management shortly

ISLAMABAD: The formation of the new Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) management will take place soon as the new members are set to elect the president and vice president of the council, the highest decision-making body at the PMDC.

“New council members will meet in a couple of days to elect members of the PMDC executive committee and the PMDC president and vice president,” PMDC Management Committee Chairman Major-General (r) Dr Azhar Mehmood Kayani told journalists here on Monday.

Major-General (r) Dr Azhar however, parried question about the new PMDC registrar. The management committee had come into being lately after President Mamnoon Hussain promulgated the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Amendment Ordinance 2015 and thus, dissolving the ‘controversial’ PMDC executive council.

The committee was tasked with holding the council elections for a new executive council. Polling for the new PMDC members had taken place on December 5 across the country except Punjab, where doctors and dentists exercised their right to franchise on December15.

Later on December 19, the PMDC held elections in Peshawar for Fata doctors. In the forthcoming meeting, the new council members will elect members of the PMDC executive committee, and PMDC president and vice president.

Major General (r) Dr Azhar said the federal government had notified 22 members of the new council and that the composition of the new council was in the final stage.  He said the management committee took efforts to streamline the PMDC affairs through review of controversial rules and regulations and earlier decisions of the PMDC regarding recognition and registration of doctors and educational institutions. “We held consultative meetings with all stakeholders including vice chancellors, deans, principals of medical and dental institutions in public and private sectors in the country,” he said, adding that the committee waived off CME/CDE requirement for registration of doctors by December 31, 2015.

“Afterwards, a simplified/revised criterion for CME/CDE has been introduced in the country. The revised criterion has been announced,” he said.

The chairman of the management committee said the exit examination at the end of house job for Pakistani medical and dental graduates had been abolished, while the ban on faculty migration from one institution to other had been limited to one academic year against three years.  He said during the four months, the PMDC Secretariat had disposed of over 13,000 applications of doctors regarding registration and renewal of PMDC licence to practice, recognition of eligibility for professorial position and the faculty registration.