Pakistan Medical Research Council

The Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC), Islamabad, the apex body in Pakistan in public sector for the promotion, organization and coordination of biomedical research in Pakistan.

The Council was established in 1962 through a resolution on the recommendation of the Medical Reforms Commission as an autonomous organization under the Federal ministry of Health (MOH). In 1972, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) was established and all scientific organizations alongwith PMRC were placed under MoST.

In 1985 the Council was re-organized to play its role in medical research more effectively and in 1997 the Council was transferred back to Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health devolved under 18th constitutional amendments and the function of PMRC was first allocated to Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination in July 2011, than transferred to Cabinet Division and again to Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination.

The Council promotes biomedical research in the country through intramural as well as extramural research. Over the decades, the base of extramural research and also its strategies have been expanded by the Council.

The Council’s research priorities coincide with the National health priorities such as communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutritional disorders; research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and hematological disorders; mental health research. All these efforts are undertaken with a view to reduce the total burden of disease and to promote health and well-being of the population.

The Governing Body of the Council is presided over by the Health Minister. It is assisted in scientific and technical matters by a Scientific Advisory Board comprising eminent experts in different biomedical disciplines, policy maker, and planner. The Board, in its turn, is assisted by a series of Scientific Advisory Groups, Scientific Advisory Committees, and Expert Groups, which evaluate and monitor different research activities of the Council.


FUNCTIONS:

Major functions of the Council are to:

Organize, coordinate and promote scientific research in various disciplines of medical sciences and public health;

Establish its own institutions for undertaking medical research;

Publish and otherwise disseminate technical and general information on scientific matters relating to the research work of the Council through holding seminars, meetings and conferences;

Establish scientific liaison with other national and international organizations connected with the scientific activities of the Council;

Advise the Federal Government and Provincial Governments on all matters related to medical research;

Carry out, when called upon, evaluation of different health programme in the country.

OBJECTIVES / TARGETS:

The main objectives of the Council are to:

Organize, coordinate and promote scientific research in various disciplines of medical sciences and public health

Link health research to the socio-economic development plans of the country.

Advise the Federal and Provincial governments on all matters related to medical research and health issues

STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL FOR ACHIEVING ITS FUNCTIONS:

1. Autonomous Status:

The Resolution under which the Council was created clearly stated that the Council will function as an autonomous organization. The revised resolution of 1985 states that the Council is being made 'more autonomous' to enable it to function more efficiently. This clearly indicates that autonomy is accepted as an essential prerequisite for the efficient function of organizations like the PMRC. Such organizations need to have the freedom to evolve rules and regulations according to needs in a rapidly changing environment. Good scientists are scarce in Pakistan. In the health sector they are almost non-existent. To attract the few who are available attractive incentives have to be given along with a good work environment. This cannot be done within the strait-jacket of general government rules.

2. Linkages:

To achieve its functions of promotion, organization and coordination of research in the country, PMRC established linkages at different levels of its organization. Through the member-ship of its Board of Governors links are made with decision-makers, planners, funders of research and academicians. Leading health professional are included in the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Expert Panels to advise the BoG on technical matters, priority setting in research and development of research agenda. The research centres of the Council which are located in medical under-graduate and post graduate institutions link the Council with academicians all over the country and give the Council's researcher access to available resources for health research in the country.

The Council has in recent years established links with international health research organizations like the Commission on Health Research for Development (COHRED), Concerted Action, SHARED (a computer network for exchange of information on health) and the Global Health Forum. Successful collaboration in research has been undertaken with the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) and the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

3. Organization and Structure:

All powers of the Council are vested in the Board of Governors (BoG). These include both administrative and financial powers. The members of the BoG serve in their ex-officio capacity. Heads of most public sector organizations with direct or indirect connection to the Health Sector are represented on the PMRC BoG.

The BoG exercises its authority through an Executive Committee, a Chairman and an Executive Director. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and a number of Expert Panels, the members of which are selected from among the leading medical researchers and academicians of the country, provide technical guidance and advice to the Council.

The Head Office of the Council previously located in Karachi was transferred to Islamabad in 1989. The Executive Director is based in Islamabad. Beside its routine administrative functions the Head Office organizes research studies at the national level, coordinates the work of the many research centres of the Council, arranges training on medical research, disseminates the findings of Research and establishes links within country and abroad.

4. Research Centres:

To achieve its functions the main strategy adopted by the Council was the development of collaboration with health academic institutions by establishing Research Centres in both the undergraduate and postgraduate medical institutions of the country.

Through the strategy of establishment of research centres in Medical Academic Institutions the Council aims to pool all available resources for health research in the country. The academic institutions have qualified staff, equipped laboratories, other diagnostic facilities and libraries. They also have access to patients. The Council supplements these facilities with staff specially oriented to medical research, statistical facilities, transport and secretarial facilities through its research cantres. Where needed special research laboratories have been established. The PMRC staff assists and facilitates researchers by providing them technical help at all levels of their research. The Head of the institution is the administrative head of the research centre and a local advisory committee with senior and research oriented faculty members guide and supervise the work of the centres and formulate priorities for research at the local level. In some centres an Honorary Principal Research Officer functions as a liaison between the research centre and the institution’s faculty. Currently 13 PMRC Research Centres are functioning.

5. PMRC Central Library:

The Council has established a Central Library and Information Centre at the Head Office. Plans for its expansion and linkages nationally and internationally are being developed to make it an efficient and effective "Health Information Resource Centre" to meet the needs of the researchers.

6. Publications:

The Council disseminates the information generated through its research activities by the following means:

Pakistan Journal of Medical Research PJMR (Quarterly)

Annual reports

Proceedings of its Biennial Medical Research Congresses.

Monographs/ Technical Reports/ Survey Reports/Seminar Reports

Seminars/ Workshops/ Training Courses

Research Papers in National and International Journals

Besides, the following documents are published and updated regularly:

PMRC Profile

Guidelines for completion of application for research grant

Guidelines for reviewers of research proposals

Cumulative contents of the PJMR