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ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination on Thursday called for urgent reforms to address growing concerns over the validity of Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results.
The panel meeting, chaired by MP Mahesh Kumar Malani, reviewed critical issues related to Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) regulations, validity of MDCAT results, increasing number of vacant medical and dental seats, equivalence issues of the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) and governance challenges in the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC).
Committee members expressed strong reservations about the three-year validity of MDCAT results, arguing that different exam standards from year to year created an uneven playing field for candidates. They noted that current candidates and those from previous years had gone to court for relief.
The Minister of Health informed the body that admissions for the current cycle could not be changed, but assured members that the ministry would consider legislative amendments once formally recommended by the committee.
The panel also looked at the growing number of vacancies in MBBS and BDS programmes, largely allocated to students switching disciplines or institutions.
Proposals from university vice-chancellors and provincial representatives, including banning inter-college transfers and making optimum use of waiting lists, were considered.
The minister directed the PMDC, Law Division and vice-chancellors to jointly produce a legally approved plan within two days to avoid further wastage of seats.
Members highlighted long-standing inconsistencies in the IBCC’s equivalency formulas, particularly the disparities faced by students in the Cambridge system compared to applicants to local boards.
The President directed the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and several members of the committee to personally collaborate with COPIB and develop a fair and streamlined solution.
The committee expressed deep concern over administrative irregularities in the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Pakistan, including the continued involvement of Ms. Yasmin Azad despite earlier directives seeking her removal.
The Health Minister confirmed that the newly reconstituted Council would meet next week, with this issue as the first item on its agenda. All previously engaged legal representatives were disengaged and the ministry was directed to resolve all outstanding issues regarding the PNMC within a week.
Other discussions included monitoring mechanisms of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), referral practices to pharmacies near federal hospitals and the transition of the 200-bed TB hospital to the Punjab government.
