Daily Times

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC), on Monday, decided upon a strict penalty of the permanent cancellation of license of doctors found involved with a medically false or incorrect postmortem report.

Showing zero tolerance to those at fault, the Council permanently cancelled the licences of two doctors over false post mortem reports, and further directed to initiate criminal proceedings against these doctors.

According to an official statement released by PM&DC, disciplinary action was also approved against 10 doctors with suspension/cancellation of their licences. The council also issued notices to another four doctors to explain their conduct as borne out during the review of evidence.

Another doctor was ordered to undergo remedial training.

The council also approved the issuance of advisory notes to ten hospitals in respect of the failure of systems and the management on their part.

These advisories would also be communicated to the relevant provincial health commissions for further enquiry.

As a part of the disciplinary proceedings, it was noted that the process of recording all actions taken was not strictly adhered to and must be followed by all hospitals and doctors. All actions, as well as medical advice, were asked to be specially recorded and provided to patients or their families in writing as a part of consultations.

In its 194th meeting, PM&DC reviewed the inspection report of Rawal Medical College, Islamabad, and decided to recognise the college in view of its failure to fulfil the evaluation criteria for a private medical college.

However, as the matter was pending before the high court, the council directed for the decision to be placed before it for further proceedings.

Students of the college would also be adjusted in other recognized colleges in the area as per law, it maintained.

Council finalises framework to publish medical colleges ranking for prospective students

The council also approved the structure of new evaluation criteria for medical and dental colleges. This entailed initial recognition criteria, periodical performance evaluation of colleges and their corresponding rating in categories, to be made publicly available for students to make their decisions.

Colleges in the lower categories would have a fixed period between one to two years to improve their performance so that they can be promoted to the higher category. However, failing to do so would result in penal action, including the suspension of admissions and, thereafter, de-recognition.

The council noted that quantity without quality was a dangerous trend, which needed to be curbed.

Therefore, the council decided that all public colleges would also be evaluated for performance and rated to enable the concerned provincial governments and universities to focus on improvement.

Colleges improving their performance were said to receive incentives, including the right to increase their allocated seats subject to the proper enhancement of facilities.

The inspections would be carried out using an online reporting system to avoid any interference.

The detailed tools, proforma and guidelines for the inspection would be finalised and approved within the next two weeks to enable the council to start many pending inspections and set down a schedule of performance evaluation of all existing colleges. Colleges would be provided with the new criteria for self-evaluation after being briefed through detailed workshops and seminars to be held by PM&DC.

The council also considered a detailed presentation on the introduction of a centralised entrance examination to medical and dental programs to ensure merit across the board while catering for weaknesses in the education system. This was also said to avoid putting students at a disadvantage for reasons beyond their control and finding the best future doctors from across Pakistan.

The proposal was forwarded to the relevant council committee for immediate consideration.

Meanwhile, the council also initiated work on improving the central induction program introduced for the first time this year.

The council suspended a senior officer, deputy registrar, assistant registrar, four officers and a staff member over enquiries and directed for show cause notices to be issued.

The actions included the theft of an original file by a doctor from the offices of PM&DC, against whom the Council directed an FIR to be lodged and disciplinary action be initiated.

The council also approved advertisements for the posts of Registrar, Finance Director and an External Auditor. While approving the new management organogram of PM&DC, it authorised the HR Committee to formulate the necessary criteria for the heads of each department. The committee was asked to advertise these at the earliest in line with the new Service Rules sent to the Legal & Regulatory Committee for approval.

The council also decided to hold a seminar and a consultative meeting with the provincial health commissions to focus on the quality of services and systems at hospitals, regulated by the commissions. The framework was also approved to initiate a consultation with the stakeholders on developing a more robust and merit-based promotion and the appointment criteria for faculty at teaching hospitals.