After a meeting led by Dr. Rafey Sher with Foreign Medical Graduates, MNA Shahida Rehmani issued a video message pledging continued support for FMGs and confirming she will raise their concerns in every relevant forum. Her intervention comes as many Pakistani doctors abroad face renewed uncertainty following recent Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) policy changes.
In the meeting, Dr. Rafey Sher outlined how the FMG community has been affected by shifts in recognition policy since the PMDC was reconstituted in 2023. He recalled that when the council was reformed, the then Federal Health Minister Qadir Patel preserved the list of recognized foreign medical institutions from the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) era, a step that ensured continuity and fairness for graduates who had trained overseas.
The speakers urged the current Health Minister Mustafa Kamal to adopt a similarly pragmatic approach, noting his publicly stated vision for health reforms. At the same time, they warned that some recent PMDC measures have created practical and legal challenges for qualified doctors and require immediate policy review to avoid injustice to FMGs.
The FMG community is engaging a wide range of platforms and has secured visible support across political lines, the media, and national institutions. Dr. Rafey Sher highlighted the Pakistan Peoples Party’s historic role in resolving previous FMG policy disputes and praised MNA Shahida Rehmani for her leadership. He also acknowledged constructive responses from MQM, ANP, and BAP representatives who have taken note of the issue.
“This is an issue of Pakistan’s youth and future doctors — it must be addressed with urgency and sincerity,” said Dr. Rafey Sher, a sentiment echoed by MNA Shahida Rehmani in her video message. The statement has been welcomed by FMGs as a sign of growing political recognition and cross-party momentum toward a fair resolution that secures rights and clarity for foreign medical graduates.
