Authorities have established a high-level committee to address the issues in medical education within the country.
Formation of the A high-level Committee
As per sources, the Prime Minister has constituted a 25-member committee for medical education. Its Chairman will be Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.Other important members include Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Economic Affairs; Azam Tarar, Minister of Law; Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the PM’s Focal Person for Health; Dr. Nafisa Shah, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission; Maj Gen (retd) Dr. Azhar Kiani, Special Secretary of the Foreign Office; the Secretary of Health, the Chairman of HEC, and the President of PMDC.
Notable Members of the Committee
Key figures from various medical institutions are also included in the committee. These include:
Vice-Chancellor of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Professor Tariq Iqbal
Provincial Secretaries of Higher Education Departments
Secretary of the Health Committee
- Dean of Khyber Medical College Peshawar, Dr. Mehmood Aurangzeb
- Vice-Chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, Professor Saeed Qureshi
- Vice-Chancellor of King Edward Medical University Lahore, Dr. Mehmood Ayaz
- Vice-Chancellor of Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Professor Iqbal Khan
- Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences Lahore, Professor Ahsan Waheed
- Dean of Aga Khan Medical University Karachi, Dr. Adil Hussain
- Principal of Bolan Medical College Quetta, Professor Raz Muhammad Kakar
Committee’s Objectives
The committee will evaluate the standards of both public and private medical colleges and universities. It will consider the current conditions and challenges faced by these institutions and will make recommendations accordingly. Special attention will be given to the availability of seats in medical colleges and universities.
Action Plan and Recommendations
As per the official communication, the committee will review the gap between the demand and supply of medical education and will develop an action plan to address this issue. It will also scrutinize the approval process for private medical colleges.
Foreign Medical Education Policy
The committee will deliberate on the admission of students to unapproved foreign medical colleges, propose a policy for admissions to foreign medical institutions, and assess the number of students going abroad for medical education.
Timeline for Reporting
The committee expects to present a report on medical education within ten days, detailing its findings and recommendations.
