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The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to impose ban on new medical college’s registration for the next three years, citing a shortage of qualified teaching staff.
The decision was shared during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, chaired by Senator Aamir Waleeduddin.
The committee was also reviewing the PMDC Amendment Bill, presented by Senator Humayun Mohmand, which proposes the inclusion of parliamentarians in the PMDC board.
PMDC President Dr. Rizwan Taj initially stated that parliamentarians had never been on the board.
However, the committee chair corrected him, saying that both a senator and a member of the National Assembly (MNA) were included in past.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui supported the idea, arguing that adding political representatives would not disrupt the council’s structure. However, Health Minister Dr. Mustafa Kamal strongly opposed the proposal.
He pointed out that even he, as the health minister, is not on the PMDC board and warned that political involvement could harm the international reputation of Pakistan’s medical professionals.
“Despite our internal challenges, Pakistani doctors are still well-respected around the world and we must protect that,” Mustafa Kamal added.
The committee will continue discussions on the proposed amendment, but the ban on new colleges will remain in place as the PMDC focuses on addressing faculty shortages, maintaining educational standards and ensure better quality in medical education.
