ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar Wednesday said there were as many as 60 private medical colleges registered with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in the country. Speaking in the Senate, she said the federal government had not unrecognised any college during the last three years. However, she told the lawmakers that the PMDC once recommended the closure of four medical colleges for ignoring the codal formalities to be observed under the law. “The matter is sub judice in different courts of the country and the PMDC has been requested for provision of its considered view point under the prevailing factual and legal position, which is awaited,” she said, adding the desired action could not be taken till the matter was sub judice. The present regular council had been advised to reappraise the propriety of decisions taken and recommendations made regarding recognition of medical and dental institutions since 2012, the minister added. “So the council has visited the said colleges to reconsider the matter, resultantly recommendation regarding closure of Sahiwal Medical College had been withdrawn by the PMDC and recommendations regarding Al-Razi Medical College were in process,” she added. She said efforts were being taken to register only those medical colleges which fulfil prescribed requirements. Presently, she added, playground, cafeteria and lab, all had equal marks, and such matters were being rectified in order to produce quality doctors. She said when any action was taken against the medical colleges which did not meet the required criteria, they approached courts with presenting students as human shield. 94,000 Pakistanis suffering from AIDS: Meanwhile, during the question hour in the Upper House of Parliament, she said that around 94,000 people in Pakistan are living with HIV/AIDS in Pakistan. She said these patients were being provided medicines and medical treatment free of cost, adding more patients were being registered as a result of effective services and growing trust of the patients and communities in getting free of cost testing and treatment services. Referring to mother and childcare, she said the maternal mortality rate in Pakistan was 276 out of 100,000 live births. She said the government was working to control maternal mortality rate and action plan on reproductive, maternal, and neonatal and child health (RMNCH) was being prepared to consolidate and accelerate the progress to achieve Millennium Development Goals by the end of this year. She said the deliveries were now being conducted by skilled community midwives in all the healthcare facilities and at health houses that had significantly reduced the mortality at birth, for both mother and child. The ministry in collaboration with provinces, partner agencies and regions, was training community midwives and other medical personnel in order to strengthen human resource and service delivery, she added. Briefing the Senate, she said the national programme for family planning and primary healthcare through its network of 96,000 community based lady health workers had a substantial impact on the uptake of important primary health services which include a large and positive impact on childhood vaccination rate, and lower rate of childhood diarrhea and pneumonia.