ISLAMABAD-Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has failed in facilitating medical graduates visiting the department for registration and issuance of licenses, The Nation learnt on Wednesday.
Medical graduates seeking their registration, issuance of practicing licenses and attestation of documents with PMC complained about the prevailing uncertainty in the administrative set-up of the department.
The Pakistan Medical Commission was formed through a presidential ordinance in October last year when the previous body Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) was dissolved and above 300 employees were terminated from the services suddenly.
Medical graduates talking to The Nation said that the PMC has so far failed in addressing the problems of students and their miseries still stand there in the newly formed setup.
“No one knows anything when you visit Pakistan Medical Commission for work,” said Dr. Mansoor Ahmed.
He said that he was working to move abroad for practice and had to attest his registration certificate as per demand of the embassy of the relevant country.
According to him, he stood in a long queue in a small room where documents were being collected and it was also working as information counter.
He added that after lack of response and proper information counter at office, he sought help of a senior official at the management.
“The officer said he is new in the office and is not aware of the office work yet and guided me to another senior official,” he said.
Dr. Mansoor said the senior officer rejected my demand and said there was no need of attestation of the registration certificate.
He said that he was misguided by a senior official as he himself was not aware of medical graduates’ issues, and he returned back.
“I again came after two weeks and a clerk confirmed that attestation will be done, but my two weeks were wasted,” he complained.
Another doctor, Maria Khan said that neither the registration nor renewal has become online as claimed by the PMC.
“There is still long queue culture and doctors have to spend hours here and argue with unprofessional staff,” she said.
She said that graduates visiting PMC are seen running from pillar to post for work and newly hired staff itself is unaware of the relevant information doctors want to know.
“Doctors received no relief from PMC setup, while there is also a debate whether international bodies will recognize PMC or the dissolved PMDC,” she said.
Earlier, PMC had also issued provisional letters to doctors for practicing which government hospitals had refused to accept.
The letter said “This is to inform that the process of issuance of permanent/provisional license is pending and will be processed shortly. Upon the license being duly issued, the same will be provided to the applicant for presentation to the relevant authority/ organization.”
Meanwhile, dozens of former PMDC employees keeping momentum of their protest gathered out PMC and demanded restoration of the PMDC.
Sloganeering against government and newly formed PMC they said that around 300 families have been deprived of from bread and butter only to favour group of people with vested interests.
They said data of 300,000 doctors is lying inside the office where only authorized staff was allowed to access that but now interns and untrained staff is dealing with the important documents.
The certificates which used to be in lockers with noted serial no and only one officer was allowed to take out the certificates now have been handed over to new untrained employees.
Vice President PMC Ali Raza was contacted for version but he did not respond till filing of the story. Spokesperson Ministry of National Health Services Sajid Shah said that entire set-up is being revamped and improved. Soon matters will be resolved, he said.