Educational institutions warned against offering unrecognised courses

The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has written to all medical and dental institutions and universities to register themselves with the PMDC under Section 25 of the PMDC Act in order to offer postgraduate programmes.

On the directions of the council, the PMDC registrar has restrained all the colleges and universities from advertising or offering any unrecognised postgraduate medical or dental programme.

In case of non-compliance with the intimation, the PMDC would initiate disciplinary proceedings under Section 35(i) of the PMDC Act, 2022, which states that whoever runs, establishes or endorses any institution or advertises admissions in an institution for imparting education in medicine or dentistry, which is not recognised under sections 21, 22, 25, 26 or 29, or in respect of which recognition has been withdrawn under Section 33, would be guilty of an offence punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years but would not be less than a year, or with fine which may extend to Rs20 million but would not be less than Rs10 million, or with both, and would also be liable to closure of the institution.

The PMDC registrar has also informed all medical and dental practitioners intending to acquire postgraduate medical or dental qualifications in Pakistan to take admissions in only those postgraduate programmes that are recognised by the PMDC.

He categorically stated that the PMDC would register only those PG qualifications that are duly inspected and recognised by the council and are included in the second schedule of the PMDC Act, 2022.

He said the PMDC has set standards of excellence and continues to work towards implementing them in every medical and dental institute across the country for both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

The PMDC will continue working towards the targets the PMDC Council has set to raise the standard of medical and dental education and licensing in Pakistan while continuing to discipline individuals and organisations who do not meet the benchmarks of excellence set by the PMDC, he added.