Islamabad: The Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) will be conducted simultaneously across the country on Sunday, October 5, under a unified curriculum, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) informed lawmakers on Wednesday during a high stakes meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.
The committee, chaired by MNA Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani at Parliament House, convened to address growing concerns regarding medical testing procedures, alleged regulatory lapses by the PMDC, and broader issues in public healthcare policy.
Lawmakers emphasized that while the MDCAT is a necessary filter for admissions, it should carry more weight in the selection process, reducing reliance on intermediate board marks, which some members alleged were subject to manipulation.
“Money can buy marks in Matric and FSc — that’s a harsh reality,” remarked Committee Chairman Dr. Mahesh Malani. “Unless education boards are transparent, there will always be a need for a credible national-level test.”
The PMDC briefed the committee about its efforts to digitize and standardize the MDCAT, including the development of a repository of 3,000–4,000 vetted questions to be used uniformly across provinces.
However, several members questioned the continued involvement of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) in conducting the exam, citing past controversies and irregularities. Committee members stressed that a centralized, transparent and digital testing mechanism with standardized paper banks was the only way forward.
Expressing their dissatisfaction with certain regulatory practices, lawmakers questioned the PMDC’s actions regarding provisional registrations, arbitrary deregistration of medical colleges, and what they described as “political interference” in appointments and decision-making processes. Concerns were also raised about discrepancies in student evaluations and lack of implementation of earlier committee recommendations.
National Health Services officials acknowledged these concerns and assured the committee of a comprehensive legal response. A fact-finding inquiry was ordered to investigate irregularities affecting students at Al Nafees Medical College. Lawmakers also directed the PMDC to expedite long-pending inquiries related to international graduates and medical schools based in Kyrgyzstan.
During the meeting, MNA Dr. Nisar Jutt also raised the long-standing issue of misconduct complaints against the former director of NIRM Hospital, Dr. Mazhar, revealing that the doctor had been facing inquiries since 2020 but was reinstated after being removed.
“Despite being found guilty in my own office, this individual was brought back under unclear circumstances,” said Dr. Jutt, questioning the integrity of internal processes.
The committee also turned its attention to public hospitals, notably the Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad, where the dental unit remains only partially functional. MNA Aliya Kamran and Dr. Shazia Sobia noted the lack of progress despite repeated directions. While officials from the Ministry of Health claimed partial functionality, the committee pressed for immediate action to operationalize the unit fully.
MNA Aliya Kamran raised the issue of medicines being stolen from the Federal Government Polyclinic which were being sold in Lahore saying medicines were not being given to patients at Polyclinic, on which Polyclinic officials conceded that some 34 injection vials were recovered from a medical store in Lahore.
Two proposed legislative amendments — the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024 — were deferred for further deliberation.
The session was attended by members including Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Dr. Shaista Khan, Dr. Darshan, Ms. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Ms. Aliya Kamran, Mr. Shahram Khan, Ms. Farukh Khan, Gul Asghar Khan, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan and Dr. Nisar Ahmed. Additional members joined virtually including Ms. Sharmila Faruqui and Mr. Azim ud Din Zahid Lakhwi. Minister Mustafa Kamal, Secretary NHSR&C, and other senior officials were also present.
The committee called for accountability, transparency, and urgent reforms in the country’s medical education and regulatory frameworks — especially with the national MDCAT only three months away.
Ends