Thousands of Foreign Medical Graduates Stranded as PMDC Grinds Licensing Process to a Halt
Nadeem Tanoli
ISLAMABAD – A wave of uncertainty has engulfed thousands of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) in Pakistan after the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) abruptly stopped issuing provisional licenses required for house jobs. The sudden freeze in the issuance of the Pak National Foreign Basic Provisional License (PRMP) has left an entire generation of aspiring doctors in limbo, sparking outrage within the medical community.
Evidence from the PMDC’s own official portal confirms the deadlock. Dozens of applicants show their cases marked “In Queue” for weeks despite their payment status clearly appearing as “Paid.” Students say the online system was processing applications smoothly until recently, after which the entire mechanism appeared to stall without warning.
The numbers are staggering. Estimates suggest around 4k graduates are directly affected. A compiled list by students reveals troubling inconsistencies: while 112 out of 120 Kyrgyzstan graduates successfully received provisional licenses, the remaining eight from the same batch remain indefinitely stuck. At Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, seven graduates were approved while the last applicant has been stranded with no explanation.
Applicants who have paid the mandatory fee of Rs. 10,230 say their money is stuck along with their future. Payment receipts and challans confirm that fees have been deposited, but applications remain frozen at the initial stage. One graduate described the experience bluntly: “Every time we ask, we’re told a different story. We’ve met every requirement, yet no one explains what’s happening.”
The ripple effect is severe. Without the provisional license, no graduate can begin their house job, effectively delaying their careers indefinitely. Families who invested millions in overseas education are now watching their children sit idle, while hospitals face shortages of trained medical staff.
Observers note that PMDC has neither issued a formal notification nor clarified the reasons behind the suspension. The vacuum of information has created speculation, confusion, and mistrust. Many believe this signals deeper systemic issues in the regulatory framework, where transparency and communication remain absent.
The affected graduates have now raised three core demands: the immediate restoration of PRMP issuance, clear official communication from PMDC, and a commitment to fairness in processing applications without arbitrary delays.
News Link Thousands of Foreign Medical Graduates Stranded as PMDC Grinds Licensing Process to a Halt
