ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (APP):The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday unanimously approved the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and directed the health ministry to conduct a fresh inquiry into complaints regarding the MDCAT 2026 examination within one week.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti at Parliament House, also directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to make the recent MDCAT question paper public within three days and implement the recommendations of the committee’s sub-committee on the examination.
The committee reviewed the private member bill, the inquiry report on MDCAT 2026 complaints and compliance by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) with directives concerning formula milk advertisements.
Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Anusha Rehman, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Rubina Khalid, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Shahzaib Durrani and Nasir Mehmood attended the meeting along with senior officials of the health ministry and relevant departments.
At the outset, committee members and ministry officials congratulated Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti on his election to the Standing Committee on Health at a recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference, terming it a significant achievement for Pakistan’s parliamentary diplomacy.
During deliberations on the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the ministry proposed incorporating a related matter concerning blood transfusion regulations into the legislation. However, the chairman and committee members observed that the matter should be addressed through separate legislation, as the bill had already undergone extensive deliberations.
The ministry clarified that it had no objection to the private member bill. Following discussion, the committee unanimously approved it.
Reviewing the inquiry report on complaints regarding MDCAT 2026, PMDC officials informed the committee that no irregularities or anomalies had been found during the examination.
However, members questioned how an inquiry into complaints of such significance could have been completed within a single day. They raised concerns about alleged out-of-syllabus questions, discrepancies in the examination and issues affecting its fairness and transparency.
The committee also expressed concern over the PMDC’s practice of collecting question booklets from candidates after the examination and not allowing them to retain copies. Members questioned why the paper had not been made public, stressing that transparency in the question bank and examination process was essential to safeguarding merit.
PMDC officials said the question booklets were collected to protect the question bank and prevent candidates appearing in subsequent years from gaining an unfair advantage. The committee, however, rejected the justification and reiterated its demand for greater transparency and public access to examination questions.
Members recalled that the committee had recommended the public release of the MDCAT question bank the previous year. They urged the PMDC to implement the recommendations of the Senate committee’s sub-committee on MDCAT and ensure a fair, transparent and merit-based examination system.
The committee also questioned the PMDC’s recently introduced policy requiring students intending to pursue medical education abroad to take the MDCAT, which was subsequently withdrawn following the committee’s intervention. Members sought clarification on the rationale behind the policy and whether accountability measures had been taken regarding its formulation.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the inquiry report, Senator Chishti directed the Ministry of National Health Services to conduct a fresh inquiry into the complaints within one week and submit its findings to the committee. He warned that failure to address the matter satisfactorily could lead to its referral to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation.
The committee also reviewed PEMRA’s compliance with its earlier directives regarding advertisements for formula milk and the promotion of breastfeeding.
The PEMRA chairperson informed members that the directives had been implemented, including the airing of disclaimers following formula milk advertisements and public service messages promoting breastfeeding. However, the committee was told that the disclaimer’s voice-over had not been aired due to objections from television channels and other relevant organisations.
Members expressed reservations over the omission, observing that a written disclaimer alone was insufficient to effectively communicate the intended message to the public.
The committee directed PEMRA to ensure full compliance with its previous and current instructions and align its new media campaign with the committee’s directions. It also stressed that formula milk advertisements should be prohibited where the required voice-over disclaimer was not incorporated.
Senator Chishti further directed the Ministry of National Health Services to improve and update its animated public service message promoting breastfeeding within three days to make it more effective and impactful.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the concerns raised and strengthening healthcare service delivery and professional recognition, with further deliberations on these matters expected at a forthcoming meeting.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
