Rumours arose when the news of dissolving PMDC came. Pakistan Medical and Dental Council was initially established as Pakistan Medical Council in 1948 by adopting the British Indian Medical Council Act 1933 on the recommendations of 1947’s Pakistan Health Conference_ through Presidential ordinance.
President Arif Alvi signed the Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance 2019 which denotes that a new era will begin regarding regulation and control of the medical profession, said a press release.
Thus, the argument arises here that services of registrar and around 220 other employees of the PMDC have been terminated that puts 220 families at disadvantage.
On the other hand, some new sections have been introduced in the ordinance which are not satisfactory to all enrolled medical students either. After March 2020, students after clearing the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) will have to clear the National licensing Exam (NLE) to start practice. Earlier that requirement was only for foreign graduates.
Moreover, PM Imran Khan says in a tweet; “PMDC was a corrupt regulatory body governed by PPP and PML (N), and its all the employees were from these parties working under favour of Asif Ali Zardari ( former president of Pakistan) and Mian Nawaz Sharif ( Former Prime Minister of Pakistan)”. The PMC will regulate all medical colleges with transparency and will hire employees on merit. The only name and staff is changed; PMC will work more accurately and purely than previously.
Whereas, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Senator Javed Abbasi, while terming the ordinance a fraud with the constitution, announced that he would file a resolution in the house for its disapproval. He claimed the promulgation of this ordinance was in violation of some Supreme Court’s orders.
On the other side of the picture, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza, however, welcomed it and said that the new ordinance was the need of the hour and it would address all issues related to medical education.
The decision was unpleasant to enrolled medical students along with all those willing to study MBBS and BDS as it is made tough through the new ordinance to enroll yourself in a medical college and to become a doctor by profession_ you have to first pass FSc exam, then entry test, after that 5 professional exams; another exam for provisional license; house job, then another exam for permanent license; CIP experience at peripheries; post-graduation entrance exam; 4 years of training with intermodulation exams; then at last, post-graduation final exam to become a specialist.
After all this, you will get a contract job under MTI with average pay, working under AC and DC and politicians.
Thus, the government must not introduce such ordinances that pressurise students. As egoistic suicide ratio is already on its peak, best measurements must be taken to make students tension-free and mentally relaxed.
The writer is a student of Law at University Law College, Quetta and Provisional Secretary of Law and Justice at Youth Parliament Balochistan Chapter,
He can be reached at
Qasim.buledi1@gmail.com
Baloch Students Action Committee is a Student political organization that aims to work for the betterment of Education in Balochistan and politicizing the youth
