ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations, unanimously, passed the private member's bill titled, "The Pakistan Opportunistic Screening and Treatment of Hypertension Bill, 2023".
The committee meeting held here under the chairmanship of Muhammad Humayun Mohmand also deliberated on the private member's bill titled, "The Islamabad Capital Territory Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Bill, 2023", introduced by Senator Dr Mehr Taj Roghani.
The committee recommended that the bill should be put forward as an amendment bill.
The officials of the Health Ministry opposed the bill, The Pakistan Opportunistic Screening and Treatment of Hypertension Bill, 2023, stating that there is no need for this mandatory screening and the facility is already being provided to patients at hospitals. Senator Sania Nishtar, the mover of the bill, emphasized that the bill is introduced in the larger public interest, as it could prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths by following this practice.
While discussing the matter of hefty fees being charged by Dow Medical College Karachi in US dollars, officials apprised that 10 to 15 percent quota has been designated for foreign students in medical colleges and these students are obligated to pay their fees in US dollars. The committee directed that the details of “foreign students” should be provided for Dow International Medical College instead of Dow Medical College.
The Senate body was briefed on the passing percentage of “National Registration Examination” (NRE) held on August 6, 2023. The officials informed that the pass percentage of NRE1 exam is around 3.96 percent as a total of 2,729 candidates participated in test and only 108 candidates passed.
Senator Rubina Khalid pointed out that the NRE exam is a permanent feature of the PMDC, which has to be held twice a year, and it has failed to organise a schedule of the said exam. She further added that PMDC has increased the passing score from 50 to 70 pc without providing any sufficient ground. The committee directed to reconsider the passing criteria by keeping in view the General International Practice.
Moreover, as to matter of malfunctioning of the AC system in OPD, emergency ward and children Out Door Patient (OPD) at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic Hospital resulted in the death of patients.
The issue was raised by Senator Kamran Murtaza and Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad. Officials refuted the allegations, stating that no casualties resulted due to malfunctioning of the AC system.
They further highlighted that a project worth Rs725 million was approved in 2018, with an estimated completion period of two years, for the upgradation of the AC system in PIMS but unfortunately, the project has not been completed so far.
The project is under execution of Pak PWD and it is designed and supervised by consultancy firm M/s International Consultant (Pvt) Ltd. The committee decided to invite the officials of Pak PWD and the consultancy firm in the upcoming meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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