LAHORE: The Punjab Health Department has formed a nine-member committee to establish a transparent, merit-based system for house jobs and postgraduate training for foreign medical graduates.
The committee includes vice-chancellors of medical universities in Punjab and principals of medical colleges. It will review existing procedures and recommend measures to ensure merit, transparency and consistency in the induction process.
The panel will also examine the verification of medical degrees, registrations, licences and eligibility criteria for foreign medical graduates.
Committee to Recommend Centralised Induction System
The committee will identify administrative and legal gaps in the current process and propose a centralised system for applications, document verification, merit assessment and placement.
The department has directed the committee to submit its recommendations on house jobs and postgraduate training for foreign medical graduates within 10 days.
LHC Suspends PMDC Order Against Afghan Students
In a related development, the Lahore High Court (LHC) stayed the implementation of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) notifications ordering the expulsion of Afghan students from medical and dental colleges.
Justice Khalid Ishaq heard a petition filed by 30 Afghan students, including Syed Mobeen Ulfati, challenging PMDC notifications issued on July 31 and September 1.
The court issued notices to the federal government, PMDC and other respondents and sought their replies by September 18.
During the hearing, the PMDC counsel argued that the visas of the students facing expulsion had expired. Justice Ishaq questioned how the students had been admitted if their visas were invalid.
The petitioners argued that the expulsion notifications were unlawful and asked the court to declare them void.
Earlier, the PMDC had barred the admission, placement and transfer of Afghan nationals to medical and dental colleges across Pakistan until further orders.
