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ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Thursday called for urgent reforms to address growing concerns over the validity of the results of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).
The panel meeting, chaired by MNA 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 posts, concerns over the equivalence of the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) and governance challenges within the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC).
Committee members expressed strong reservations regarding the three-year validity of MDCAT results, arguing that different testing standards over the years were creating an uneven playing field for applicants. They noted that both current and previous year candidates had gone to court seeking redress.
The Health Minister informed the body that admissions for the current cycle could not be changed, but assured members that the ministry would consider legislative amendments once the committee formally recommended them.
The panel also examined the increasing number of vacancies in MBBS and BDS programmes, largely attributed to students switching between disciplines or institutions.
Proposals from university presidents and provincial representatives were reviewed, including the prohibition of transfers between universities and the optimal use of waiting lists.
The minister directed the PMDC, Legal Division and Vice Chancellors to jointly come up with a legally vetted plan within two days to avoid further wastage of seats.
Members highlighted long-standing inconsistencies in the IBMC’s equivalence formulas, particularly the disparities faced by students in the Cambridge system compared to local board candidates.
The President tasked the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and several members of the committee to personally engage with the BICC and develop a fair and simplified solution.
The committee expressed deep concern over administrative irregularities at the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council, including the continued involvement of Ms Yasmin Azad despite earlier directives for her removal.
The Minister of Health confirmed that the newly reconstituted Council would meet next week and that this issue would be the first item on the agenda. All previously engaged legal representatives have been recalled and the Ministry was instructed to resolve all pending PNMC matters within a week.
Other discussions covered the oversight mechanisms of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), referral practices of pharmacies near federal hospitals and the transition of the 200-bed Tuberculosis Hospital to the Punjab government.
