PMDC embarks on major institutional restructuring

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to introduce wide-ranging organisational reforms aimed at improving institutional performance, addressing operational bottlenecks and strengthening transparency and service delivery across the body.

The decisions were taken at a recent meeting chaired by PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj, where heads of departments briefed participants on progress made so far, unresolved matters, staff punctuality, operational difficulties and proposed reforms, according to a statement.

Warning against fake MDCAT portals

As part of the measures, the examination department was urgently instructed to place an alert on the official PMDC website to warn candidates about fraudulent and fake MDCAT portals, with the stated aim of protecting the public from financial loss.

The finance department was directed to give priority to verification of financial documents related to medical and dental colleges, along with cases involving dual fee payments and fee refund applications. A dedicated tracking mechanism, to be developed in coordination with the IT department, will be introduced to help ensure timely disposal of these matters.

Digital systems and complaint monitoring

The IT department was also asked to develop an online inspection portal on a priority basis, as well as a dashboard for monitoring inspection progress and general updates for the minister in charge. In addition, weekly reports on pending complaints received through the Complaint Management System will now be submitted to the PMDC president every Friday.

During the meeting, Dr Taj appreciated the licensing department for quickly disposing of cases, but also instructed it to further reduce the remaining backlog by speeding up renewal cases and processing licence extensions on a priority basis.

Focus on negligence cases and pending verifications

The council also directed the legal department to urgently handle complaints involving medical negligence or loss of life during treatment in order to ensure swift dispensation of justice. Dedicated software solutions are to be developed for the legal and disciplinary committee sections as well.

Separately, the inspection department was instructed to move ahead with digitisation initiatives and prepare master trainer programmes. The faculty department was told to coordinate with medical and dental institutions to reactivate inactive faculty members, while approved steps also include removing duplicate entries and verifying records of active faculty.

The validation department, meanwhile, has been asked to present details of pending verifications at the next meeting and to address issues related to fees deposited under incorrect heads.