News Detail

The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Thursday was apprised through Petition No 4906 that the entire system of nursing is malfunctioned and the vision and mission of the Government of Pakistan for the nursing profession to meet the target of 300000 Nurses by 2023 is being damaged by the Pakistan Nursing Council which do not aim to promote the nursing education by fair means. The Petitioner Malik Muhammad Usman Ali through Public Petition no 4906 regarding violation of Pakistan Nursing Council Act 1973 argued that the future of thousands of nursing students through bogus institutes established by the Pakistan Nursing Council Academy employees malpractices and illegal appointments is being wrecked. The Petitioner lamented that the PNC is working on ,"one man show" basis and self seeking interests. The petitioner apprised on the appointment of Ms Fozia Mushtaq as illegal, it was apprised that the service rules for the employees of PNC has not yet been articulated and without service rules any promotion give to Fouzia Mushtaq is illegal. It was also argued that the PNC has conflict of interest within the institute.  The petitioner urged the Senate Committee to address the issues in the larger interest of the country. The Chairman Committee maintained that nurses are  central to the medical community and are held in high esteem world wide. They are the backbones of the field of medicine and shall be dealt under systematic Rules and Charters.The Committee deferred the matter, as the committee needed time to vet the working papers submitted by the petitioner. The committee also directed the Ministry as well as the Petitioner to answer the questions as and when asked upon solid grounds arguements and evidences in order fo resolve if inaccuracies are prevalent in the institute.

Matter of issues faced by the foreign medical graduates regarding House Job and application of percentage reduction from retrospective by the PMC was also discussed in the committee. The PMC informed the committee that the council during its 2nd meeting held on 27th September, 2022 discussed passing percentage of NLE 1 & 2 shall be at par with the professional exams being taken by the medial universities in Pakistan, which is 50 pc. The council also considered passing percentage of licensing exams being conducted in different countries and proposed to lower the passing percentage of both NLE -1 & NLE -2 from 70 pc to 50 pc. The Council unanimously approved lowering the passing percentage of NLE -1 & NLE -2 from 70 pc to 50 pc and will be applied prospectively.  The Chairman Committee directed the PMC to propose a way out for the students who are stuck in the process  and also recommended that if once a retrospective method has been applied than there is no harm If it can be applied again as a matter of fairness and justice.

Discussion on inclusion of remaining technologies i.e., dispenser, clinic, psychology and psychotherapy, pharmacy technician, emergency medical technician etc through cabinet in schedule -I of Allied Health Professionals act, 2022. It was also urged that since other technologies are also working under dispenser each technology be further classified. The Ministry informed that the formulation of council is in process and all concerned units have been requested to forward nomination for approval of the Prime Minister. It further apprised that the response of province except Sindh is still awaited, as and when the council is established fully functional, the process of inclusion of new discipline will be initiated subject to fulfillment of all requirements for inclusion of new discipline. It was further informed that psychology is already included in the schedule -1 and pharmacy technician is already registered as category -B with pharmacy council of Pakistan under PCP Act, 1967.

Matter of request submitted by Pharmacy Technician EduCareer Sindh Institute Sukkur regarding registration and examination of pharmacy technician program the committee was apprised that the secretary M/O National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination had constituted a committee to address the issues of pharmacy colleges. The committee also directed the provincial pharmacy council, Sindh to expedite the matter of holding the examination of pharmacy technician program at the earliest a Request has also been submitted to Pharmacy Council of Pakistan for granting approval to provincial pharmacy council of Sindh to act as examining body for pharmacy technician program and register the students.

The Prime University of Nursing Sciences Technology Islamabad Bill, 2022 was deferred.

The meeting was attended by Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Senator Fawzia Arshad and Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafeeq Tarin. Officials from the ministry and other concerned departments were also in attendance