Colleges told to submit student registration lists to the regulator by March 31, 2018. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: The apex regulator of medical educational institutions and the health ministry have decided to take action against the colleges who are refusing to follow the centralised admission policy.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), while asserting its authority, had ruled earlier in the month that the admission policy introduced last year would stay in place.
The regulator also reversed the fee hike recommended for private medical colleges after admission violations, binding medical colleges to cap fees at Rs640,000 — a limit set last year.
However, a majority of private medical and dental colleges started advertising admissions in newspapers and some even granted students admissions before October 31 — violating a PMDC rule which prevented private medical institutions from granting admission to students before public medical and dental colleges complete their admission process.
On Monday, PMDC President Professor Dr Shabbir Ahmed Lehri in a statement said that all colleges have to submit their student registrations lists to the regulator by March 31, 2018, for the 2017 -2018 session as per the centralised admission policy 2016.
Should the college fail to do so, students shall not be registered with the PMDC.
The council has stopped all the private medical and dental colleges from inviting applications and displaying their merit lists. Moreover, it has strictly directed that admissions in MBBS and BDS courses in public and private sector institutions of Pakistan and abroad shall be governed by the Admission Regulations 2016.
All students, their parents and institutions have also been advised to strictly follow the centralised provincial, regional admission and entry test policy described in the regulation.
He warned that any admission taken or granted in violation of these regulations shall be considered as a violation of PMDC rules and such students will not be registered by the affiliating university or the PMDC.
Moreover, the violating institution shall be penalised under the Ordinance I962.
Officials said the health ministry has been kept in the loop over these measures and has ensured its support to implement the policy to ensure merit and to end the ‘donation culture’ prevailing in the private sector.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2017.
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