Senate panel orders action on medical seats

PMDC told to probe vacancies and fee disparities

ISLAMABAD:

A Senate panel on Monday directed the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to take immediate measures to address vacant seats in medical colleges, examine fee disparities and strengthen monitoring of medical education institutions.

The directives were issued by the Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani.

The panel asserted that it will not allow long-standing issues in medical education to remain unresolved, adding that, "every vacant seat, every fee increase and every regulatory gap must have a clear answer".

The committee reviewed PMDC's preparedness for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026. It was informed that PMDC had rescheduled the MDCAT 2026 examination to Sunday, Sept 20, 2026, to ensure a transparent, secure and well-organised process and provide relief to candidates.

The vice chancellors of universities conducting the MDCAT shared their input on various other matters, including vacant seats and the fee structure of medical colleges, particularly institutions charging higher fees.

The minister for health informed the committee that several colleges had sought an increase in fees and that universities could not independently increase their fees.

Of the 61 medical colleges considered, 35 had qualified on the prescribed criteria. The committee sought details justifying and scrutinising the fees, along with audited financial statements, for each of these 35 qualified institutions.

PMDC was also asked to share the status of institutions that had not qualified but were nevertheless charging higher fees and displaying those fees on their websites. PMDC informed the committee that notices had been issued to non-compliant institutions and that monitoring was under way.

The committee asked for details of the notices issued in this regard.

The committee emphasised that any increase in fees should be supported by clear criteria and credible evidence, including educational standards, faculty strength, infrastructure and audited financial information.

The issue of vacant seats in medical colleges was discussed at length. The minister stated that vacant seats were a genuine and broader concern and could not be attributed solely to fee levels or MDCAT eligibility percentages.

The committee was informed that the ministry had examined the issue in comparison with other professional fields and that the declining interest in medical education also required consideration.

The committee discussed increasing the number of seats in public-sector medical colleges as one possible measure. PMDC informed the committee that additional seats had already been allocated following inspections, including seats for Punjab, erstwhile FATA and Balochistan.

The committee also discussed the position in Sindh in this regard. Members of the committee and vice chancellors of admitting universities explained that an increase in public-sector seats would require additional infrastructure, registration capacity and physical space. The chairman decided that a separate meeting would be held with the Government of Sindh and relevant representatives to examine the matter in detail.

The committee stressed that vacant seats must be properly investigated before any further policy decision is taken. PMDC was directed to inspect private colleges having vacant seats and submit a report identifying the reasons for the vacancies.

The committee expressed grave concern over the delay in providing the information required during its previous meeting and directed that the report be submitted within one month.