Paper leakage and other discrepancies: PMDC directed to ensure necessary safeguards are in place

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations has directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to ensure all necessary safeguards are in place to prevent the issue of paper leakage and other discrepancies in re-conducting the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2024.

The meeting of the Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulation, which was held here under the chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, underscored the urgent need for reforms in Pakistan’s healthcare sector and addressed a range of pressing issues impacting the nation’s healthcare system.

The meeting was informed that the MDCAT for Sindh is scheduled for December 8 and for Islamabad Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (ZAMBU) test on December 14, 2024.

The committee’s discussions revolved around critical concerns affecting the performance of Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), the urgent need to strengthen mental health services, issues related to the working of Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad and briefing on the preparations of the MDCAT retest 2024.

The committee reiterated its commitment to upholding the principles of equity and access in healthcare. It called for a comprehensive review of healthcare policies with a specific focus on mental health, nursing and healthcare infrastructure in the country.

The committee urged the government to prioritize health reforms as part of its broader policy agenda, emphasizing that healthcare as a fundamental right for every citizen and access to quality care should not be a privilege limited by socio-economic status.

The committee expressed its determination to work for the progress on these vital issues, ensuring that the health and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan remained a top priority.

Amidst these challenges, the committee also took time to acknowledge the PMDC for its efforts in addressing the discrepancies in the MDCAT 2024 examination, following the committee’s previous recommendations and the Sindh High Court’s order to conduct a retest of the MDCAT exam.

The committee was apprised that the MDCAT retest was set to take place in late December 2024. The PMDC had incorporated the committee’s proposals for transparency, including strict monitoring of exam venues and ensuring that the question were formulated after carefully conducting the pre-op analysis. The committee was informed that PMDC had already started working on improving the standard of the MDCAT exams in future based on recommendations of the committee.

The committee while discussing the “Pakistan Nursing Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, moved by Syed Rafiullah, MNA, in a heated argument, strongly emphasised the unresolved crisis within the PNC, urging immediate action to break the deadlock that had paralysed the working of nursing institutes across the country, exacerbating the already severe shortage of qualified nurses. The committee members jointly called for the Prime Minister’s intervention to address this administrative impasse and provide a clear roadmap for resolving these long-standing issues. The said bill was deferred by the committee till the provision of requisite information from the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations.

Furthermore, the committee discussed the “Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024” and the “Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024”, moved by Shaista Pervaiz, MNA. The committee pointed out that the regulation of “psychologists”, a growing profession that remained largely unregulated despite the increasing demand for mental health services across Pakistan. The committee recommended regulating the profession of psychology to ensure that mental health professionals were properly certified and practicing in line with legal and international standards. Both the bills were deferred till the next committee meeting.

The committee raised serious concerns about the state of healthcare facilities at the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad. Despite being one of the capital’s most prominent public healthcare facilities, the hospital faced numerous operational deficiencies including outdated medical equipment, a chronic shortage of medicines and an unsatisfactory patient care. This reality led to increasing dissatisfaction among the patients and medical professionals alike.

The committee demanded an immediate intervention to upgrade the Polyclinic’s infrastructure and improve the availability of basic healthcare services, ensuring that every citizen regardless of their social status received adequate care.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024