By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday quashed two polemic laws as part of Shehbaz government’s drive to right the former PTI regime’s legislative wrongs.
In total, the NA approved nine private members’ bills and two government bills and referred four to the joint sitting of the parliament on Thursday (today).
The most important development was the passage of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Bill (PMDC), 2022 which, according to official papers, was aimed at reforming the PMDC into a democratic, independent, and powerful body for producing medical professionals to serve the country.
The bill, moved by Dr Mahreen Razak Bhutto and Syed Agha Rafiullah, passed the NA with majority vote after clause by clause reading.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the legislation, membership of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) had been given mostly to non-medical professionals and irrelevant people, making policies for medical and dental professionals.
“One could imagine that if law-making and judicial policies making tasks are assigned to the non medical and dental or other irrelevant professionals what would be the outcome?” the statement questioned.
It added that there were more than 150 medical colleges and dental schools in the country that produced more than 12,800 doctors and 2,100 dental surgeons every year.
“Our disease pattern is different from the USA (United States of America) and the UK (United Kingdom), and our cultural and social behaviour demands a different kind of attention.”
The majority of the country’s population lived in an unhealthy and toxic environment as the rural areas and massive city slums were without clean water or sewerage system, it said.
The PMC Act, 2022, the statement said, was not well thought-out and would not be acceptable.
“It is time to restore PMDC with reforms to make it a democratic, independent and powerful body that can produce professional doctors who can work for the country.”
As soon as the bill passes the Senate, the PMDC will be restored and the amendments made through the PMC Act will be done away with.
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Bill, 2022, moved by Syed Rafiullah, was also passed by the house.
Minister for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Abdul Qadir Patel said the repealing of two black laws was the right step in the right direction.
“Due to the PMDC Act, over 55 percent Sindh seats in medical colleges remained vacant. While over 18,000 students preferred getting admissions abroad to pursue medical education,” Patel said.
Health minister said the PIMS Act had turned the institute into a private entity.
“Certain [PIT government] favorites were getting huge salaries with the consent of the former government,” he added.
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