Healthy concerns: UHS denies overlooking Punjab students
Southern Punjab students have highest acceptance to medical colleges.
LAHORE:
A University of Health Sciences (UHS) official recently stated that there was no discrimination in filtering candidates from southern Punjab with regards to admissions in public sector medical and dental colleges in the province.
UHS issued a press statement on Friday, which stated that for the last four years, hundreds of candidates from remote and under-developed districts of southern Punjab have been outshining students hailing from central and northern parts of the province in medical college admissions. “Merit is the only criteria for admission to any medical or dental college,” he said.
The UHS spokesperson mentioned that according to the latest statistics, the percentage of candidates admitted from the southern Punjab districts with respect to the number of candidates who had applied from these areas exceeded 11.51 per cent in 2009 and 11.63 per cent in 2010. In contrast, the percentage of candidates admitted from central Punjab had been 10.27 and 9.63. “The percentage of candidates from northern Punjab was 7.29 and 8.51 in 2009 and 2010 respectively,” he added.
Moreover, according to a population wise analysis, the percentage of students admitted from southern Punjab in 2010, totalled 0.00404 as compared to 0.00362 and 0.00378 for central and northern Punjab.
“The UHS categorically denies all charges of nepotism and the allegation that the weightage of entrance test marks was recently increased. The UHS follows the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council formula in compliance with the apex courts directives in this regard,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.
A University of Health Sciences (UHS) official recently stated that there was no discrimination in filtering candidates from southern Punjab with regards to admissions in public sector medical and dental colleges in the province.
UHS issued a press statement on Friday, which stated that for the last four years, hundreds of candidates from remote and under-developed districts of southern Punjab have been outshining students hailing from central and northern parts of the province in medical college admissions. “Merit is the only criteria for admission to any medical or dental college,” he said.
The UHS spokesperson mentioned that according to the latest statistics, the percentage of candidates admitted from the southern Punjab districts with respect to the number of candidates who had applied from these areas exceeded 11.51 per cent in 2009 and 11.63 per cent in 2010. In contrast, the percentage of candidates admitted from central Punjab had been 10.27 and 9.63. “The percentage of candidates from northern Punjab was 7.29 and 8.51 in 2009 and 2010 respectively,” he added.
Moreover, according to a population wise analysis, the percentage of students admitted from southern Punjab in 2010, totalled 0.00404 as compared to 0.00362 and 0.00378 for central and northern Punjab.
“The UHS categorically denies all charges of nepotism and the allegation that the weightage of entrance test marks was recently increased. The UHS follows the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council formula in compliance with the apex courts directives in this regard,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.