ISLAMABAD: The members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday walked out in protest against the report submitted by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and absence of its president and vice president from the meeting.

The standing committee met under the chairmanship of Khalid Hussain Magsi to discuss/review implementation status of the previous commendations of the committee, calling for justice/ mishap in MDCAT test (refereed by speaker National Assembly) and briefing on appointments made by the PMC.

The Committee was not satisfied with the reply/report submitted by the PMC and showed its displeasure on the absence of its president and vice president, observing that it shows the lack of importance towards the parliamentary business.

The father of a student appeared before the committee on the issue of Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) who was sent by the speaker National Assembly. There were errors in the result issued by the PMC and 14 questions were out of the syllabus in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), the committee was informed.

Under what law did the PMC make this rule?

Fifty percent of the children re-examined, the PMC was questioned.

The committee was further informed that all four options of the bio-question were wrong.

Ali Raza, vice president PMC misstated before the court. There was also a software problem, Raza admitted and the court ordered all children to be satisfied.

He further said that he talked to Ali Raza about his daughter’s issue.

The vice president said if the girl wanted to commit suicide, she should do so.

We protested against this but were not even allowed to meet the president, the father of the student added, and appealed to the members of the committee for help.

Committee members observed that this is not a single problem but an issue of thousands of students.

Children commit suicide over this issue.

The PMC president himself will have to answer these questions, the committee directed.

Member Committee Dr Darshan recommended that the test should be taken again.

All the members of the committee insisted that the chairman should come to the committee and respond.

The chairman along with members of the committee convened an urgent meeting of the Standing Committee on the same agenda on February 4, 2021, and directed that president and vice president of the PMC should ensure their presence in the meeting of the Committee.

Later on the Committee members walk out in protest.

Jai Parkash, Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Dr Nosheen Hamid, Dr Seemi Bokhari, Fouzia Behram, Aliya Hamza Malik, Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, Dr Samina Matloob, Dr Darshan, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ramesh Lal, Shamsun Nisa and representatives of the ministry and attached department attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021