A large number of Rawalpindi doctors belonging to the Young Doctors Association (YDA) blocked the Murree Road, Rawalpindi, on Thursday to press for their demands against the National Licensing Exam (NLE) introduced last year by the Pakistan Medical Commission, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The YDA members said that it was a mistake by the PMC to introduce such an exam for graduates as they already give five professional exams. The protesters said that they would not let PMC bulldoze such exams on the graduates.

It is relevant to note that despite the introduction of NLE, the exam was canceled last year.

Earlier, Medical students and doctors in a number of cities protested against the licensing exam introduced. Young doctors from different organisations, including Doctors Wake-Up Movement Pakistan, Private Medical Students Union Pakistan, and Pakistan Medical Association, took to the roads in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Islamabad.

Before the PMC Act 2020, medical students who had completed their MBBS degree could apply for a provisional license to do a house job, and a full license would be granted after completion of the house job. Now, however, after graduation medical students will only get a license to practise after they clear the National Licensing Exam and complete their house job. 

The registration portal on PMC’s website lists Rs12,000 as the fees of the exam. For this year’s exam, the last date to register is July 5. The NLE will be held between August 20 and August 27.

Reporter Usman Khan