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Fact-check: It’s true. Pakistan has cancelled the medical licensing exam for doctors

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The federal government has cancelled the national licensing test that medical graduates had to take in order to legally practice in Pakistan, claimed social media users and media reports.

The claim is true.

Claim

“The federal government has abolished the mandatory licensing exam for medical graduates,” wrote a Twitter account on February 12. “Now every student will automatically receive a license upon graduation.”

The tweet had been viewed over 17,000 times, at the time of writing.

Fact

A press release issued by the government-run Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) on February 10 confirmed that medical graduates are no longer required to sit for the National Licensing Examination (NLE).

“As promised by the Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, the PM&DC has started issuing permanent registration certificates from February 8 to doctors, who graduated from Pakistan medical and dental colleges, without the requirement of the National Licensing Examination,” the statement read.

The PM&DC adds that this was a long-standing demand of the medical community.

The press release, however, stated that students who have completed their undergraduate degrees from foreign universities will still have to sit for the National Registration Examination.

Hina Shaukat, the chief public relations officer at the PM&DC, told Geo Fact Check over the phone, that this was already the practice [prior to 2020].

“They [the students] were selected and checked through a proper procedure before they were registered. They did not have to sit for the NLE exams then,” she explained, “As they had come from colleges that are already recognised.”

Then in September 2020, the PM&DC was replaced by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) by the then Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government through an act of the parliament. Under the new law, the exam was made mandatory for Pakistani medical students to obtain a license.

“Students were protesting against the NLE test,” Shaukat said, “Because students were saying that we already have to sit through a number of comprehensive tests like the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) before graduating.”

Why was the NLE introduced?

Dr Faisal Sultan, who was the special assistant to the prime minister on health in 2020, defended the decision to roll out the NLE.

“In a country with well over 100 medical colleges in half a dozen provinces/territories, it is crucial that new graduates are able to demonstrate a uniform level of capability and skill,” he wrote on WhatsApp, in response to Geo Fact Check.

“This can be accomplished by a uniform national licensing exam which is done in a reliable and reproducible way,” he went on, “Not only does this provide confidence in the individual that is about to be given a license is a safe doctor, but is also a very sensitive method to judge the academic standards of the colleges.”

The doctor further explained that the exam was taken at the end of five years to, in a way, inspect the educational standards of medical colleges.

“There have often been colleges with a great variety and range of quality between them,” Sultan added, “The consumer deserves to be given a reassurance of a minimum level of competence.”

Sultan also said that even advanced countries, with good universities, like the United Kingdom or United States of America often require a national or single exam for licensing.

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Mother detained after killing her six-month-old infant and attempting suicide

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According to specifics, a case has been filed under the sections of attempted suicide, murder, and murder on the complaint of the grandfather of the young child against the suspected mother.

Police sources claim that Kulsoom Bibi killed her 6-month-old daughter Fatima and maimed her other children with a sharp object. The mother had been arguing with her husband and made a demand for their divorce.

The mom and her three children attempted suicide yesterday in a horrifying tragedy.

Police claim that a mother slashed her vein and sliced the throats of her three children in Wazirabad’s Jinnah Colony due of a marital argument.

Consequently, two more children and their mother were sent to the hospital in severe condition, and a six-month-old infant passed away from her injuries.

The mother who is being accused has been arrested by police, and an investigation is still ongoing.

In a related incident, a woman in Quetta killed herself after giving her four daughters poison.

The horrifying event happened in the Hazara Town neighbourhood of Quetta. The mom poisoned her four daughters, who ranged in age from three to ten, before killing herself.

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Pakistan claims to support a UN body working to guarantee food security.

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Pakistan has stated that it supports the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in building a facility with broader and people-centric criteria to further strengthen its efforts to defeat hunger, improve nutrition, and ensure food security in developing countries. The statement was made at the recently concluded UN Economic and Social (ECOSOC) Youth Forum.

Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, stated, “We have considerable potential in the agriculture sector and could play an important role in building the global food supply chains.” Over a thousand young activists and leaders from around the world attended the meeting.

At the same time, he expressed Pakistan’s support for the UN Secretary-General’s demand for immediate reform of the global financial system, emphasising the need to address debt relief on behalf of the billions of impoverished people living in developing nations. He said that this reform was essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2) of ending world hunger.

Given the growing susceptibility of the world’s food systems to a wide range of problems, Ambassador Jadoon also emphasised the necessity of coordinated worldwide efforts to build robust and sustainable food systems that can survive shocks and disruptions.

He issued a warning that there was a convergence of crises facing the world, including supply chain disruptions, economic contractions, and conflicts. These crises posed serious dangers to the ability of the current food systems to deliver safe, affordable, and nutrient-dense diets for everyone.

According to the envoy from Pakistan, which is the fifth most populated nation in the world and has a sizable youth population, Pakistan understood the vital significance of preserving food systems for coming generations. He said that the country’s economy was based mostly on agriculture, which employed a sizable percentage of the working population and made a major contribution to GDP.

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022, which damaged 4.4 million acres of standing crops, were cited by Ambassador Usman Jadoon as evidence of the grim realisation that food systems are extremely susceptible and that countries vulnerable to climate change confront urgent concerns.

According to him, Pakistan is facing significant challenges in the agriculture sector due to a series of interconnected crises, which have resulted in a sharp increase in food costs on the global market.

In addition to addressing acute crises, Ambassador Jadoon stated that Pakistan pushed for international aid that gave priority to the long-term resilience and sustainability of food systems in the most vulnerable countries. According to him, ensuring food security required a comprehensive strategy that took into account both immediate problems and long-term opportunities, especially for the young people who are the nation’s future.

He added that Pakistan calls on all stakeholders to work together to create resilient food systems that can survive the challenges of today and tomorrow since the country is dedicated to the welfare of its citizens as well as the global community.

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For the Pakistani team’s T20I against New Zealand, Haseebullah has replaced Azam Khan.

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In a brief press release, PCB said, “The national selection committee has announced wicketkeeper/batter Haseebullah as the replacement player for Azam Khan, who was sidelined from the T20I series against New Zealand due to a tear in his right calf muscle.”

The information indicates that Haseebullah will become a member of the Pakistan team following the third Twenty20 International, and he will be eligible to be selected for the two remaining Twenty20 Internationals, which are slated to take place in Lahore on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Earlier in the year, Haseebullah, 21, played in his only Twenty20 international match against New Zealand.

or the unfamiliar, Azam Khan was declared out of the whole series on Saturday after missing the first Twenty20 International because of pain in his right knee and right calf muscle.

According to PCB, “Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle.”

The announcement also stated, “Azam will therefore be unable to take part in the current Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, which concludes in Lahore on April 27.”

Notably, Mark Chapman’s incredible innings helped the visitors to an easy seven-wicket victory in the third Twenty20 International, tying the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand at one.

Pakistan team for the Twenty20 Internationals in New Zealand

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Babar Azam (c), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Wasim Jr. are the reserve players.

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