Graduates who applied for the PRMP program and had their applications rejected were initially promised refunds of their application fees, yet many did not receive payments within the expected timeframe. The delay left applicants waiting for months despite clear assurances from the regulatory body that reimbursements would follow.
The issue was taken up by the Senate Standing Committee on Health, where Senator Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto pointed out that hundreds of affected graduates remained unpaid. His intervention at the parliamentary level brought renewed attention to what had become an extended and unresolved matter affecting newly qualified doctors across Pakistan.
Following the committee’s notice, the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council began processing refunds and has issued payments to approximately half of the affected graduates. While the initiation of PRMP refunds provided relief to many, a substantial number of applicants continue to wait, with delays now extending beyond eight months since the initial promise of reimbursement.
Dr. Rafey Sher welcomed Senator Bhutto’s timely role in highlighting the problem and praised the PMDC President and Registrar for taking prompt action to start partial refunds after the committee’s intervention. He described the move as an important step but stressed that progress must continue until all pending claims are settled.
Dr. Sher urged the relevant authorities to expedite processing for the remaining applicants without further delay, emphasising that graduates have already endured an unjustified waiting period. He called for consistent follow-through on administrative commitments to restore confidence among applicants and to ensure transparency and accountability in future PRMP refunds and related processes.
