ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) expressing serious concerns over the resurgence of polio has recommended that to contain the disease besides vaccination the authorities must also take measures such as drainage, cleaning and environmental protection.
The committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA said that it has been observed that steps like drainage cleaning and environmental protection were totally being ignored by local administrations. Members stressed that preventing polio required a holistic response, not just immunisation.
Addressing the resurgence of polio, the committee noted that cases had re-emerged in south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Karachi due to poor sanitation and repeated failure to vaccinate large numbers of children due to security reasons and other such constraints. It was also observed that while the authorities were fully focusing on the vaccination drives, local governments were not playing their part to purge the area of polio.
The committee held an extensive meeting on Thursday to examine pressing concerns related to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), medical education testing procedures, regulatory failures in the healthcare sector and ongoing policy issues regarding medicine procurement and public health.
The committee expressed grave concern over the failure of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the Ministry of National Health Services to resolve the issue of students of Al-Nafees Medical College and directed the PMDC to immediately summon the students and university officials and resolve the matter amicably and to reach a merit-based within five days. Members observed that student careers had been put at risk due to administrative negligence and lack of coordination among PMDC, universities and the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. The committee also discussed the matter of Pakistani students graduating from Kyrgyzstan and directed the PMDC that all students who had enrolled at the university during the period when the medical college was duly registered should be recognised without any further delay.
“The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (moved by Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA)” was deferred to the next meeting. On the issue of mental health legislation, the Committee recommended withdrawal of “The Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024” (moved by Shaista Pervaiz, MNA) only on the assurance by the Ministry of NHSR&C that its provisions would be incorporated into the Allied Health Professionals Council Act, 2022, to avoid duplication.
The committee directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to expedite recruitments process, and to ensure standardisation and price regulation of medical devices, including stents and lenses. It emphasised that there must be no compromise on quality and strictly prohibited the use of substandard instruments. The committee also sought an update on DRAP’s digital licensing system and ongoing reforms.
The committee deliberated on the longstanding administrative crisis at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM), where allegations of staff absenteeism, ghost surgeries and internal victimisation were raised. The chairman dissolved the Sub-Committee on NIRM and decided that the issue would now be taken up in the main Standing Committee, where all stakeholders would be heard in an in-camera session.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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