Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Dr Zafar Mirza on Wednesday said that the government had made it mandatory for medical students to pass national licensing examination in future to start practice as doctor.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Zafar Mirza said that without passing this examination, the government would not allow any MBBS student to start medical practice even after completing four year education and house job.
He said that this examination would be introduced from March 2020 and each year two such examinations would be held. He added the objective was to know the professional capability of doctors and level of knowledge he or she obtained from the concerned medical college.
“Now it is necessary to check the standard of doctors as we cannot send our loved ones for treatment from these substandard doctors. It is our task to improve the quality of medical education and discourage practice of doctors with having low professional capabilities.”
Dr Zafar Mirza said that there would be a quality national level examination for FSc students for admission in medical and dental colleges on passing their FSc examination. He added the examinations would be held throughout the country on same day. He said that under the new ordinance dissolving Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and establishing Pakistan Medical Commission, three set ups would be formed with different responsibilities related with the medical education.
He said that members of all three set ups would be appointed on merit and as per requirement of the bodies concerned. He said that there would be nine members in new Pakistan Medical and Dentil Council, 19 members in National Medical and Dental Academic Board and seven members for National Medical Authority.
