Notices on doctor’s plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and others on a petition by a foreign qualified doctor against denial of permission to practice in the country. Petitioner Hamza Khan completed his MBBS qualification in 2015 from a university in United Arab Emirates namely RAK Medical & Health Sciences University.

After returning to the country, he submitted a form before PMDC in order to appear in examination of National Examination Board (NEB) in order to secure licence to start medical practice. However, petitioner’s counsel Sheraz Zaka told the court that the council refused to entertain the form and categorically stated that the petitioner needed an equivalence certificate from Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC). He said the petitioner subsequently applied for the IBCC certificate of his high school diploma, which he also attained from a UAE school. However, he said the IBCC also refused to recognise the petitioner’s diploma qualification. The counsel argued that superior courts had laid down dictums for foreign qualified students.