National Assembly of Pakistan
11th Meeting of the Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination
Islamabad, 24th December 2024 — A meeting of the National Assembly – Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination was held under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani at Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Islamabad.
During the meeting, the committee deferred consideration of legislative proposals: the "The Pakistan Nursing Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024," "Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024," "Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024," and "The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024" to the next meeting of the committee.
The Chairman Committee highlighted the significant public concerns regarding the MDCAT examination, which has caused widespread disappointment among students nationwide. The Committee emphasized the importance of conducting a transparent and fair examination on 30th December 2024 to address the grievances of students awaiting a just evaluation. Concerns regarding 30 out-of-syllabus questions, which undermined the efforts and diligent preparations of students, were also thoroughly deliberated.
The issue of examination fees remains sub judice, with the Islamabad High Court yet to decide whether the cost should be borne by the students or by PM&DC. The Committee further recommended that sufficient preparation time be provided to intermediate students, with the MDCAT be scheduled immediately after the announcement of intermediate results. Additionally, the committee members urged equitable allocation of seats, highlighting the need to address the limited number of seats available for students with ICT domicile. The Committee resolved to communicate with the Punjab provincial government to review and ensure a balanced distribution of seats based on domicile. Furthermore, it was suggested that opportunities for examination be granted solely on merit and competence, irrespective of regional affiliations, to promote fairness and equal opportunity.
The Committee was briefed on the recent developments and future course of action concerning the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT). The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad, is scheduled to re-conduct the MDCAT on 30th December 2024 for 22,056 candidates from AJK, GB, ICT, and international venues, including Dubai and Riyadh. Out of 22,556 candidates registered for the test on 22nd September 2024, over 8,600 have registered for the retake. The matter remains sub-judice in the Islamabad High Court, and university authorities have assured foolproof arrangements for a smooth and transparent process. Teams from PM&DC and the university will oversee the test.
IBA Sukkur conducted a retake on 8th December 2024 across seven centers in five divisions of Sindh, with 32,208 candidates (83.2%) appearing from the total 38,841 registered. Of these, 13,718 (35.40%) were declared eligible for MBBS and 16,072 (41.54%) for the BDS program. The highest score achieved was 192 by four candidates. Five cases of copying and other malpractice incidents were reported. The President of PM&DC and senior officials closely monitored the test in collaboration with the Sindh Government’s High-Power Committee.
To address challenges and improve the MDCAT process, a Reform Process Committee has been constituted, holding three meetings to date. Key recommendations include revising the MDCAT syllabus, developing a Q Bank from a common syllabus, restricting candidates to their domicile regions for the test, aligning MDCAT with intermediate result declarations, and mandating MDCAT for foreign admissions. The Committee reiterated its commitment to ensuring transparency and fairness through robust reforms aimed at restoring public trust and safeguarding the integrity of the examination process.
The meeting was attended by MNAs including Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, Ms. Zehra Wadood Fatemi, Ms. Farah Naz Asghar, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Sahebzadi Ghazala Saifi, Dr. Nikhil Shakeel Khan, Ms. Farukh Khan, Dr. Amjad Ali Khan, Dr. Azim Uddin Zahid Lakhvi, Mr. Muhammad Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Ms. Aliya Kamran, President PM&DC, and other officers concerned.
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