PMDC advances probe into medical student suicides, video scandal

• Council vows zero tolerance on harassment, negligence in medical institutions
• Sends cases to disciplinary panel for final adjudication

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Monday convened preliminary hearings for three cases, including the tragic suicides of two medical students reportedly linked to harassment, before referring them to the PMDC Disciplinary Committee for final decisions.

Council President Rizwan Taj, alongside Registrar Rehan Naqvi, expressed sorrow over the incidents and emphasised a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment and negligence in medical and dental institutions. The Disciplinary Committee is scheduled to meet next week.

According to a PMDC statement, the preliminary hearings were held to ensure a fair and informed assessment before initiating formal disciplinary proceedings. The council called relevant stakeholders, including representatives from the institutions involved, to present their accounts and establish a clear “factual matrix.”

Taj reviewed the initial findings and sought clarifications from the representatives to verify key facts and assess the sufficiency of the evidence. This process was undertaken to determine whether the cases were ready for referral to the Disciplinary Committee for further adjudication.

The first hearing addressed the “OT video leak scandal”. All five involved doctors — Dr Tayaba Fatima, Dr Zainab Tahir, Dr Muhammad Essa, Dr Ayesha Afzal and Dr Maham Amin — attended. The incident involved the circulation of an inappropriate video on social media by postgraduate trainees at Lady Wellington Hospital in Lahore. The video showed a race among doctors performing surgeries on two tables while making callous comments.

The second hearing concerned the suicide of Fareeha, a final-year MBBS student at Fatima Jinnah Medical College in Lahore. The third case addressed the suicide of Fehmida Leghari, a third-year MBBS student at Muhammad Medical College in Mirpurkhas. The principals of both colleges appeared to explain the facts of their respective cases.

After the preliminary hearings, Taj forwarded all cases to the PMDC Disciplinary Committee for final determinations.

“The Council will ensure that strict actions will be taken against any individual or institution found responsible for negligence, misconduct, or violation of student protection policies. “We are also aware of the importance of effective grievance redressal mechanisms within institutions to prevent such incidents and ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment remains a top priority of PMDC.”

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026