Filling of top PMDC vacancies at hand

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced that it is in the process of appointing new registrar, finance director, and internal and external auditors as part of the administrative reforms.“As the first step after formation lately, the current Council advertised the posts of the register and director (finance). Applicants have been shortlisted whose interviews will be conducted shortly for the early filling of the two top vacancies. Also on the cards is the appointment of external and internal auditors, in whose absence the regulator has relied only on three account audits undertaken by the AGPR in the last 10 years,” PMDC President Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal Bhutta told a presser recently.The 17-member council, the supreme decision-making body at the PMDC, had come into being through a presidential ordinance issued on March 13, 2019, on the directions of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations.The PMDC president said the council had approved a new organogram of the organisation, while heads of departments would be selected through a transparent and merit-based process after the appointment of the registrar and finance director.He said the council had addressed delays in the issuance of provisional licenses to medical and dental graduates helping them do house job.“We have received 34,702 applications for the grant of licenses this year and 31,478 of them have been disposed of. We have fixed 14 days deadline for clearing of all remaining applications,” he said.Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal said the council had ordered the disposal of all pending cases of provisional licenses, permanent licenses, renewal of licenses, postgraduate and additional qualifications and faculty registrations and experience by June 30.He said the council had reviewed the inspection criteria of medical and dental colleges to not only bring them in line with the best international practices and standards but also to streamline the existing cumbersome process and was considering the imposition of a periodical review of standards of all colleges to ensure the best quality education for future doctors.The PMDC president said the council had made two separate inspection and evaluation profroma to ensure that not only all medical and dental colleges attain the minimum performance levels but they were also assisted in improving the quality of education.He said the council on receiving more than 150 complaints about exorbitant fee directed the relevant colleges to refund the extra charges to students to prevent legal action and deductions from their bank guarantees deposited with the PMDC.“We will proceed against the violating colleges next month after verifying compliance on complaints,” he said.Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal said the council would hold hearings into the more than 100 complaints of medical negligence and malpractices next month, while advisories would be issued to hospitals on better patient care. He asked hospitals to record all procedures and medical notes about patients to check negligence.The PMDC president said for the first time, the PMDC had introduced an annual quality categorisation of all public and private medical colleges in Pakistan.“The colleges will be graded into five categories from A+ to D based on performance and facilities and faculty. The purpose of the grading is to assist students in making their choices as well as enabling colleges to improve their quality,” he said.

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