Minister orders pension payment to PMDC employees

Islamabad: After the enactment of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Act, which was approved by both houses of parliament lately, minister for national health services Abdul Qadir Patel on Tuesday ordered the resumption of the payment of pension to former employees of the regulator for medical education and practice.

After the replacement of the PMDC with the Pakistan Medical Commission in 2020, the pension payment to the organisation’s staff members came to a halt. There followed strikes, street protests, and court cases by employees, but to no avail. Now, after parliament has legislated to abolish the PMDC and reinstate PMDC, health minister Abdul Qadir Patel said he had ordered authorities to ensure immediate the resumption of pension payments to the former PMDC employees.

“We [Pakistan People’s Party] have taken another step to show our strong commitment to protecting the rights of workers. We will continue serving the people,” he said. The PMDC employees hailed the development and thanked the minister for intervention.