PMA stresses all political parties to reject PMDC ordinance

LAHORE: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) (Centre) has written a letter to the heads of all the political parties to reject PMDC ordinance 2019 at every level as the Council has reduced itself to a forum of non-elected individuals.

PMA has already rejected the PMDC ordinance- 2019 under which this selected council has been formed, which is in total violation of PMDC ordinance-1962, observed the participants of a meeting held at PMA House to discuss the affairs of PMDC.

The meeting was attended by Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad, Secretary General, PMA Centre, Dr Qazi Wasiq, Treasurer PMA Centre, office-bearers of PMA Karachi and many other senior members of the organisation. Meanwhile, Dr Ikram Ahmed Tunio, President PMA Centre and Dr Salma Aslam Kundi President Elect PMA Centre and Dr Muhammad Ashraf Nizami, Immediate Past President PMA Centre also participated in the meeting from Larkana, Abbotabad and Lahore through video link. Dr Amir Saleem and Dr Saeed Ahmed, Joint Secretaries PMA Centre, also participated through video link from Kasur and Quetta.

The meeting appreciated Mian Ateeq Sheikh, Chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, and members of the standing committee Dr Meher Taj Roghani, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq and Senator Ashok Kumar for their bold stance against PMDC Ordinance 2019. The Chairman and members of the standing committee has criticised the new PMDC for not being a democratic representative body but a selected council which is now trying to bring back ‘corrupt’ individuals into the council. The powers of the Council have also been reduced through this ordinance.

PMA always stressed making PMDC an autonomous, independent, transparent, democratic and vibrant body to regulate the medical education in the country in a transparent way. PMA once again requests the members of senate and National Assembly to come forward and support PMA by raising their voice against this illegal, unconstitutional and destructive ordinance and reject it.