Islamabad, The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination convened at the Parliament House and unanimously proposed a 50% passing percentage for the NLE examinations, challenging the previous 70% benchmark set in October 2021. The session also touched on the operational status of MRI machines in government hospitals and the deputation of employees within hospitals in Islamabad.
According to a news release by the Senate of Pakistan, the committee, under the leadership of Senator Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, engaged in a detailed discussion regarding the NLE examination passing marks. The discussion, sparked by Senator Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani’s request, revealed that the PMDC passed 50% of the candidates in 2012, 2017, and 2019. However, the passing percentage was raised to 70% in October 2021. The PMDC justified this increase by citing the 70% passing rate in developed countries. This argument was contested by Senator Prof Mehr Taj Roghani and Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, both advocating for a 50% passing mark in line with global practices, indicating concerns about the potential undue pressure on the doctor community.
The session also delved into the issue of MRI machines in government medical establishments. The Executive Director of PIMS Hospital confirmed that their MRI machine, operational since October 13th, would be formally inaugurated on October 27 by the Federal Minister for Health. Additionally, an MRI machine is set to be acquired for the Polyclinic Hospital within the next four months. Senator Mohmand emphasized the need for six to seven MRI machines as a standard in Islamabad’s Government Hospitals.
Deputation of employees in Pims Hospital and Polyclinic Hospital was another topic of the meeting. Information provided disclosed that 24 Pims Hospital employees are currently on deputation in other hospitals, while 49 staff members from different hospital departments are working on deputation within PIMS.
The meeting saw participation from Senators Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Sana Jamali, Rubina Khalid, Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar, Bahramand Khan Tangi, and Senator Fawzia Arshad, along with senior officials from the ministry and related departments.