Dissolution of PMDC: Presidential ordinance previously disapproved by Senate re-promulgated

ISLAMABAD: A presidential ordinance, dissolving the Pakistan Medical & Dental (PMDC), which was earlier disapproved by the Senate seven weeks back and waalso withdrawn by the government, has been promulgated again, causing a stir.

The opposition including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which had rejected the previous ordinance in the Senate, has again spoken against the new law with equal vehemence. It is unlikely to extend a dissimilar treatment to the ordinance in the Senate.

When contacted, Media Coordinator of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Sajid Hussain Shah told The News that the present ordinance was somewhat different from the previous one. He did not elaborate. He said that the ordinance was needed to liberalise the medical education. He said the purpose of immediate takeover of the PMDC building, shutting the office for a week, was to protect the record.

The coordinator was asked to connect this correspondent to Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, but it did not happen. Some days before the August 30 disapproval of the earlier ordinance by the Upper House of Parliament, the Senate committee on health services had turned it down, calling for its rejection by the Senate.

The new ordinance paves the way for establishment of a Pakistan Medial Commission (PMC), which will be run by a nine-member body and its head would be called president.

The Ministry of National Health Services took over the possession of the PMDC building and directed its 220 employees that the office will remain shut for one week. The Pakistan Medical Association has termed the ordinance undemocratic and appealed to political parties to reject it.

It has officially stated that the new ordinance will usher in a new era, beginning with reference to regulation and control of the medical profession by establishing uniform minimum standard of medical education and training and recognition of qualifications in medicine and dentistry. It said that the implementation of the ordinance requires dissolution of current PMDC, and added that the government directed the temporary closing down of the offices of PMDC to ensure protection of the essential records and assets.