NA health panel grills top officials of PNMC, PMDC

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Monday grilled top officials of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on various issues, especially fee hikes in private medical colleges.

The committee, which met with MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani in the chair, also approved key legislation on thalassemia screening in the federal capital.

The most heated moments came when the PNMC president and secretary failed to appear before the Committee despite formal notices. Lawmakers questioned the legitimacy of the PNMC president’s qualification. “She allegedly obtained a nursing degree on a visit visa from a university that doesn’t exist on the HEC list,” MNA Aliya Kamran said. According to the Committee, the FIA has termed the degree as fake and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) also disowned the issuing institution.

“This committee has never felt more powerless,” lamented MNA Zahra Wadood Fatemi. Dr Malani ordered disciplinary action against the absentees and directed the Ministry of Health to convene a separate meeting on the matter before April 25.

“If we can’t take action, why are we even sitting here?” asked senior member Aijaz Jakhrani, who demanded the Speaker of the National Assembly be involved to initiate a show-cause notice.

Concerns were also raised about harassment allegations against a senior official at NIRM, who was removed from a key post earlier, but allegedly reinstated to a powerful administrative role.

MNAs claimed he not only faces harassment accusations but was also making videos of doctors. “This is a matter of institutional integrity and female safety,” said MNA Nisar Ahmed, demanding an immediate probe. Dr Malani ordered the Ministry of Health to form a committee to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the Committee welcomed a proposal from PMDC to regulate the annual tuition fee of private medical and dental colleges, capping it between Rs1.8 million to Rs2.5 million, with a maximum annual increment of five percent.

“The cap must be strictly implemented. No college should be allowed to charge beyond this limit,” Dr. Malani emphasized.

The Committee also expressed dissatisfaction over delays in issuing experience certificates to medical professionals and directed the process be made transparent and timely. It reviewed the updated Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) curriculum, stressing it must be shared with members before final approval.

In a rare moment of consensus, the Committee unanimously approved the Islamabad Capital Territory Compulsory Thalassemia Screening Bill, 2025, presented by MNA Sharmila Faruqui.

Clarifying misconceptions, Faruqui emphasized, “We’re not proposing a ban on marriages among thalassemia carriers; we only seek informed consent through voluntary testing.”

A clause mandating the test was removed, and the bill was passed with near-unanimous support—only JUIF’s Aliya Kamran abstained.

The panel also took up the Sehat Sahulat Programme, recommending its expansion to under-served regions like Tharparkar and AJK. It urged the Ministry of Health to ensure transparency in hospital eligibility and resolve human resource issues within the scheme.

In a move to address Pakistan’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases, the Committee backed the Health Ministry’s proposal to increase excise duty on sugary and ultra-processed foods from 20% to 30%.

Dr Malani directed that the hike be incorporated in the upcoming Finance Bill and asked for FBR’s final response before May 2. Concerns were also raised about job insecurity among thousands of regularized healthcare workers.

The Committee condemned the Establishment Division’s move to refer their cases to FPSC and called for a legal solution to protect their employment status. “This issue needs resolution at the highest level,” Dr Malani said.