Postgraduate programmes: PMDC asks medical education institutes to get registered

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has written letters to all medical and dental institutions/ universities to register themselves with the PM&DC under section 25 of the PM&DC Act for offering postgraduate programmes.

On the directions of the Council, the PM&DC registrar has strictly refrained all the colleges and universities, not to advertise/ offer any unrecognised postgraduate medical and dental programmes. In case of non-compliance to the intimation, the PM&DC will initiate disciplinary proceedings under section 35(i) of the PM&DC Act, 2022, which states: Section 35. Penalty.—(1) Whoever runs or establishes or endorses any institution or advertises admissions in an institution for imparting education in medicine or dentistry, which is not recognized under sections 21, 22, 25, 26 or 29 or in respect of which recognition has been withdrawn under section 33, shall be guilty of an offence punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, but shall not be less than a year, or with fine which may extend to twenty million rupees, but shall not be less than ten million rupees, or with both and shall also be liable to closure of such institution.

Registrar PM&DC further stated that all medical/ dental practitioners intending to acquire postgraduate medical/ dental qualifications in Pakistan are informed to take admissions in PM&DC-recognised postgraduate programmes only. It is categorically informed that the PM&DC shall register only those PG qualifications which are duly inspected and recognised by the Council and are included in the 2 schedule of the PM&DC Act, 2022.

He added the PM&DC has set standards of excellence and continues to work towards implementing them in every medical and dental institute across Pakistan for both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

The PM&DC will continue working towards the targets the PM&DC Council has set to raise the standard of medical and dental education and licensing in Pakistan while continuing to discipline individuals and organisations who do not meet the benchmarks of excellence set by the PM&DC.

The list of recognised postgraduate qualifications and the DAI’s are available on the PM&DC’s website, i.e., www.pmdc.pk.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023