Islamabad, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):A Meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand here at Parliament House on Thursday.
The Committee unanimously rejected the “Pakistan Psychological Council Bill” The Chairman Committee was of view that both the August Houses of Parliament have passed the “Allied Health Professional Council Bill” and Psychology/Counselling has been included in it. While discussing the matter regarding the number of seats in medical colleges for the students of erstwhile Fata raised by Senator Mushtaq Ahmad khan and Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar in the Senate sitting on 22nd December.
Anwar ul Haq Kakar suggested that HEC should increase quota for the Students belonging to Baluchistan and studding outside the Province, as most of the middle class families from Baluchistan despite all the economic hardships have sent their children to study in some of the best institutes of the Country.
They have the right to get scholarships as they belong to underprivileged Province of Baluchistan and have performed very well academically, he added. HEC agreed to give 20 pc of total 265 seats to students belonging to Baluchistan and studying outside the Province and 80 pc to students who are studying in Baluchistan.
Senator Sardar Shafiq advised that Committee may write to Planning Commission to speed up the process of approving PC 1 of HEC FATA-BALUCHISTAN scholarship for the years to come so that students may not face problems. The Committee directed the Planning Commission to consider the matter urgently.
Furthermore, the Committee discussed the matter of issuance of show cause notice to 22 Doctors practicing aesthetics raised by Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur. Member of Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) informed the Committee that PMC has received a complaint from President House regarding an aesthetic practitioner and the PMC only examined 7 practitioners out of 11, because the other four were technicians and they do not come under the ambit of PMC.
Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur stated that PMC did not take any action against the accused mentioned in the complaint by President House. Chairman Committee directed the PMC to look into details of the matter and brief the Committee about it in the next meeting.
However, while discussing the matter of procurement of MRI machine, Chairman Committee inquired that why the Ministry is buying an MRI machines with low end specifications. I only want the tax money of people of the Country to be spent in a better way, he stressed.
In reply to that, Nabeel Ahmad Awan Additional Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR and C) told the Committee that MRI machines with advanced specifications are costly and buying Four MRI machines with 1.5 Billion rupees is at least better than having nothing. Poly Clinic hospital has been established since ages and it still does not possess a MRI machine, he added.
He also requested the Committee to listen to Dr. Tariq Mehmood Prof. Radiology at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) with respect to matter at hand. The Chairman Committee stated that I will discuss the matter with the worthy members of the Committee and then inform the Ministry about it.
The meeting was attended by Senator Sana Jamali, Senator Fawzia Arshad, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Senator Khalida Ateeb, Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Senator Anwar Ul Haq, Dr. Faisal Sultan Special Advisor to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) and others Senior Officers of NHSRC as well.
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