Islamabad : Following the successful launch of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) updated online portal two months ago, significantly improving the efficiency of issuing registrations and licensing certificates, the PM&DC is taking a further major step towards digitalization. The President of PM&DC, Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, has directed the PM&DC IT team to develop and implement e-certificates for license renewals and Good Standing Certificates, reinforcing the Council’s commitment to provide a more efficient and user-friendly experience for medical and dental practitioners.
This innovative move will modernize the PM&DC’s registration processes by introducing a fully digital system for the issuance of these essential documents. By transitioning to e-certification, the PM&DC aims to drastically reduce processing times, making it quicker and more convenient for practitioners to obtain their renewal licenses and Good Standing Certificates.
These certificates previously took days to process can now be issued much faster, ensuring that doctors experience minimal disruption.
Under the new system, the issuance time for license renewals is expected to be reduced to 6-7 days, while Good Standing Certificates will be processed within just 1-2 days. Additionally, the enhanced digital infrastructure will allow the PM&DC to efficiently handle up to 300-400 applications per day, further increasing operational efficiency.
President PM&DC Prof.Dr. Rizwan Taj in a press release stated that the current manual processing of license renewals and Good Standing Certificates is time-consuming and resource-intensive. With advancements in digital technology, there will be an opportunity to streamline these processes by manually processing and mailing hard copies, to Online application submission, electronic certificate generation, and direct electronic delivery to the applicant or the relevant authority with enhanced security features.
He added that the decision has also been made to cut printing and mailing costs, which will help reduce paper usage. It will provide a more convenient, transparent, and user-friendly application process and more enhanced digital security measures to prevent fraud or forgery.
Since the inception of the updated portal in June 2024, a total 17524 renewal cases have been received from which 16692 cases have been completed and issued. Over the past two months, nearly 5,063 doctors and dentists have applied for Good Standing Certificates, with 4,891 cases successfully issued. Medical professionals often require a Good Standing Certificate to practice abroad, apply for jobs, or pursue further education in other countries.
He said as soon as the e-certification system is executed, the expected issuance time for license renewals will be reduced to 6-7 days, and Good Standing Certificates will be processed within just 1-2 days. This new system will also significantly increase efficiency, enabling the PMDC to handle at least 300-400 applications daily. A considerable reduction from the previous timeframe.
Furthermore, he stated that directions have been given to the IT staff to start preparing for the implementation of e-certification on a war footing. This preparation phase includes developing the necessary technological infrastructure, training staff, and ensuring that all processes are aligned with the new system.
