ISLAMABAD: The national health services (NHS) ministry has stopped a delegation of Pakistan Medical and Dental College (PMDC) from going abroad at public expense.

The council’s management has been told that the visit was against the government’s austerity drive and no such visit should be arranged in future.

The letter, written by the ministry and available with Dawn, states that it has been learnt that a PMDC delegation is visiting Queen Mary University of London.

“It is understood that the University of Queen Mary London is providing funds for two members of the delegation and for the remaining two, PMDC is providing funds to visit UK.

In view of the austerity drive, it has been decided that no visit shall be undertaken at public expense,” states the letter addressed to PMDC President Mian Sakirullah Jan.

The council has also been directed that the visit may only be undertaken by those whose expense is covered by the sponsoring agency.

An official of the NHS ministry, who is not authorised to speak on record, said the ministry had come to know that as many as four PMDC representatives were going abroad and, out of them, expenses of two travellers were being borne by the council.

“The matter was brought to the knowledge of NHS Minister Aamer Mehmood Kiani who directed the official concerned to get the visit stopped at public expense. Hence the PMDC delegation visit was stopped,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018