Senators Danesh Kumar and Gurdeep Singh Pledge Senate Action to Resolve PMDC Policy Crisis Affecting Foreign Medical Graduates
Islamabad: Two members of the Senate, Senator Danesh Kumar and Senator Gurdeep Singh, have stepped in to address the growing outcry over the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) policy changes that have left thousands of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in professional limbo. The senators met with a delegation of FMGs led by Dr. Rafey Sher in Islamabad to discuss the crisis and the way forward.
During the meeting, Dr. Rafey Sher and his team explained that the retroactive enforcement of PMDC regulations has unfairly barred hundreds of qualified Pakistani doctors — graduates from countries such as Kyrgyzstan, China, Uzbekistan, Russia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan — from obtaining provisional medical licenses. They pointed out that the affected doctors had enrolled in universities that were officially recognized by PMDC at the time of admission, making the sudden policy shift deeply unjust and disruptive to their careers.
The delegation noted that the abrupt and inconsistent regulatory changes have jeopardized the futures of foreign-trained doctors who returned home intending to serve Pakistan’s healthcare system. Many have already passed their required exams but remain unable to begin their professional practice due to licensing barriers created by the new policy.
Both Senator Danesh Kumar and Senator Gurdeep Singh expressed grave concern over the issue and assured the delegation of their full parliamentary support. They said that Pakistan cannot afford to lose skilled medical professionals at a time when the healthcare sector is already facing severe shortages. The senators emphasized the need for transparent, fair, and merit-based evaluation mechanisms within the PMDC framework to ensure that deserving graduates are not excluded by inconsistent policy decisions.
“The Foreign Medical Graduates are Pakistan’s valuable human capital,” Senator Danesh Kumar said. “Their education abroad should be seen as an asset, not as a reason for discrimination.” Senator Gurdeep Singh added that any retroactive policy application that disrupts the lives of qualified doctors must be urgently reviewed, stressing that justice and transparency must remain central to PMDC’s operations.
The meeting concluded with both senators committing to raise the issue in the Senate and engage directly with the Ministry of National Health Services to advocate for a resolution that upholds merit, fairness, and equal opportunity for all foreign-trained doctors in Pakistan.
