ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination on Thursday barred the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) from issuing merit lists of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) exam, conducted recently across the country.
The committee meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Dr Muhammad Afzal Dhandla, Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, issued these instructions keeping in view the concerns of students and parents over the performance of PMC regarding the results and conducting the MDCAT exam of the current year.
The committee members expressed displeasure over the negligence of the PMC and the absence of the Secretary-General and President of the PMC in the meeting.
MNA Dr Zehra Wadood Fatemi from Pakistan Muslim League (N) suggested the chairperson to issue arrest warrant for the PMC president and present him to the committee in case of the absence of the President and Secretary General PMC in the next meeting.
She added that students and parents are under great stress due to the irresponsible and non-professional conduct of the PMC on the issues related to the MDCAT exam.
The chairman committee also endorsed the recommendation of a committee member Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema to stop the authorities concerned from adopting further legal procedures on SRO to legalize the heated tobacco products in the country as these products are equally harmful as conventional cigarettes.
Discussing the malpractices and irregularities in Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), the Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services and President of PNC, Dr Shazia Sobia Soomro informed the committee that she received threatening calls on asking to submit the data of registered nursing colleges and other related information.
Dr Shazia said that being the President of PNC, she suspended the registrar of PNC on the charge of malpractices and not providing official record.
