A recent session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar, revealed alarming shortcomings in Pakistan’s nursing education system. The Health Secretary disclosed that not a single one of the 55 nursing colleges inspected met the required accreditation standards, casting a shadow over the quality of healthcare training nationwide.
The meeting, which Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal did not attend, saw Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Bharath step in. Citing a media interview in which Kamal appeared to acknowledge irregularities in the Pakistan Nursing Council, Dr Kumar interpreted it as a de facto admission of systemic failings. A full report on the council’s performance is currently in preparation.
Dr Bharath also raised concerns over actions taken during the previous PTI-led government. He revealed that 15 medical colleges were accredited simultaneously by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), a move now under investigation by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Re-inspections of these institutions are reportedly underway.
In a move toward reform, the committee backed Dr Bharath’s proposal to decentralize medical college entry tests, assigning responsibility to provincial authorities. Committee member Abdul Qadir Patel emphasized that these tests should be domicile-based, calling for separate testing protocols for candidates from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
Discussion on the long-awaited Pharmacy Council Act was delayed due to the federal health minister’s absence, prompting Patel to walk out of the session in protest.
The committee also reviewed the operations of the National Institute of Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities (NIRM), which has served thousands of patients since the 2005 earthquake. While the institute provides surgeries, physical therapy, and prosthetics, its lack of an emergency ward was flagged as a critical oversight. NIRM’s Executive Director reported receiving only Rs 15 million of the Rs 55 million requested for facility upgrades. The committee also deemed the Rs 50 million annual drug budget insufficient, recommending support from Bait-ul-Mal funds.
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The session concluded with preliminary discussions on regulating fees charged by private hospitals—an issue expected to return to the agenda in future meetings.