ISLAMABAD: The past management of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) had awarded contracts to ghost companies, which is a clear violation of rules and regulations.
According to official sources at Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), these companies were not even registered at the time of bidding but they were awarded the contracts in violation of rules.
They said that scams of millions of rupees are under inquiry against the former management for giving such contracts to these companies.
They said that the past management of PMC was also involved in many other irregularities like the PMC handed over the task of inspections of medical and dental colleges to another public sector organization while a detailed procedure was adopted by any institution seeking recognition with PMDC.
As a regulator, the PMDC used to monitor, inspect and regulate all the medical and dental colleges, they added.
Similarly, foreign graduates were put under some pathway not given in the act as the act refers to preparing assessment criteria, they added.
Unlike PMDC’s method of taking NEB exams through one recognized public university to register foreign students, the MBBS or BDS local students who used to give five university exams had to give again NLE National licensing exit exam and then were given a full license, the source added.
They said that as per PMDC rules the local students were registered by PMDC after passing the recognized institutions whereas the PMC created three exams for a full license, provisional license and temporary license.
They said that PMDC was internationally accredited whereas the PMC faced a lot of problems in accreditation with international stakeholders which created panic among the doctors working abroad.
They said that the PMC conducted the entry test by arranging it through an external testing authority, which resulted in depriving over 50 percent of Sindh students to get admissions in medical and dental colleges.
They said that the capable students have been deprived of admissions as no criteria for awarding these marks were given to the colleges and it was according to their whims and wishes that those students were selected on the wrong exam held by the PMC.
They said that due to this situation, thousands of students have obtained admissions abroad giving a colossal loss to the country money up to nine billion rupees.
They said that as per the PMDC bill, the composition of the council is nominated having representation of all the provinces’ health bodies, universities or stakeholders to give their input in policymaking for its smooth implementation.
Whereas in PMC all members were nominated directly using discretionary powers without following any merit while all members of the PMC council were having a conflict of interest working in private sectors and nominated without criteria, they added.