The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services and Regulations has approved the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) Ordinance Bill, 2019. The committee meeting held with Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh in the chair here on Monday wherein it discussed the report of a subcommittee constituted by the main committee to review and suggest amendments in the PMDC Ordinance, 2019 Bill. The committee members unanimously approved the bill with certain amendments.
The government wanted to present the draft of the PMDC Ordinance Bill, 2019 in the next session of the Upper House of the Parliament which is to start on August 29, 2019. Established through the 1962 Ordinance, the PMDC is the only apex and public regulatory body of medical profession in Pakistan.
After the meeting, Senator Shaikh talking to media persons said that the approval of the bill will pave the way for better education of Pakistani medical students locally. He said that future Pakistani health professionals will be equipped with better knowledge to provide best health facilities to the people.
Earlier the subcommittee rejected the ordinance, declaring it 'a constitutional fraud,' but that day in the main committee meeting, the members approved the bill; after the open meeting turned ugly, the chairman with the consultation of other members declared it an in-camera meeting.
Senator Dr Ashok Kumar-led subcommittee was of the view that the government should have brought changes in the PMDC related laws through an act of Parliament and not through a Presidential ordinance.
It said the promulgation of an ordinance should not be brought as a parallel source of law, while bypassing the Parliament and the parliamentary process as had been done through the PMDC Ordinance 2019.
"The subcommittee expresses its strong concern over the re-promulgation of the earlier ordinance as the PMDC Ordinance 2019 which is not justifiable on any ground," read the minutes of the meeting."
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