ISLAMABAD-The undecided legal status of medical education regulatory body and its collection of documents has raised the secrecy-related concerns of medical graduates looking for official recognition of their documents, The Nation learnt on Tuesday.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in February last had declared the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) as illegal and ordered restoration of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
However, documents available with The Nation said that the PMC staff had received the documents for issuing the Provisional Registration Certificates and also collected fee after the dissolution of the body.
The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) after the court orders had initially shifted the medical graduates and other official record to another building and had sealed the PMDC/PMC office.
Ammara Ahmed, a doctor, said that the PMC was receiving documents after the court orders and dozens of doctors seeking registration, renewal and good standing certificates had submitted their documents.
She said that these are sensitive documents and so far medical graduates are unclear what the authorities are doing with the future of medical graduates.
“Renewal of the registration is very sensitive as for the purpose original certificates are obtained before the issuance of new one,” she said.
The doctor said that earlier forgery and issuance of 68 fake certificates were also reported during the renewal of registration.
The medical graduates contain the data of above 250,000 medical and dental professionals of the country marinated in last 60 years after the establishment of the department.
President Young Doctors Association PIMS Dr. Fazal-e-Rabbi informed The Nation that medical graduates have concerns about the safety of the submitted documents.
He said that medical professionals in final year, on house job and on job all are concerned about their documents recognition with the body. He added that about 47,000 cases of renewal, registration and issuance of good standing certificate are pending with the body.
Secretary General (SG) Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Dr. Qaiser Sajjad talking to The Nation said that the oscillation of the regulating body has damaged the doctors’ community.
He said that medical graduates working abroad are waiting for the good standing certificates and there is no body currently to address their problems which they are facing in other countries. The PMA secretary general said that after the court orders PMDC was restored and government sealed the building not complying the verdict and created miseries for the medical community.
Spokesperson of the health ministry, however, avoided comments on the issue saying that the matter is still in the court and the government will follow the court orders.
The federal cabinet last week had decided to wait for the decision on an the intra-court appeal filed against the IHC verdict of abolishing PMC and restoring PMDC. The next hearing of the appeal is scheduled on March 12.