PMDC sends notice to govt on MBBS seats

PMDC warns against violation of Ordinance by increasing number of seats in public medical colleges in the province.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) sent a notice to the Punjab government on November 5 warning that it was violating the PMDC Ordinance of 1962 by increasing the number of seats in public medical colleges in the province for the 2010-11 session.

According to the University of Health Sciences (UHS) prospectus for 2010-11, the Punjab government is starting four new medical colleges, each with 100 MBBS seats, and has increased by 542 the number of MBBS seats in 11 existing public medical colleges, bringing the total numbers of seats in public medical colleges to 3,205 for the next academic session.

The PMDC said that it did not recognise the four new colleges. “The Punjab government’s actions are not covered in law and should not be taken. If taken they will place the future of the students admitted as well as the admitting authority at peril,” says the notice, which was addressed to the health secretary. A copy is available to The Express Tribune. “Any over-admission or admission in colleges in the prospectus which are not recognised under the ordinance shall be a violation of the PMDC Ordinance of 1962 and the judgment of the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan (in PLD 2007 SC 323).”

The notice advises the Punjab government to apply to the council following the procedure outlined in the rules in order to get approval for the increased number of seats. The provincial government needs to apply to the Ministry of Health to get the four new colleges recognised, it said.

A Health Department official said that the chief minister’s push to increase the capacity of public medical colleges was a “clear violation” of PMDC rules. He said that doctors and faculty members did not support the move either because there was already a shortage of qualified teachers. He doubted that the new medical colleges would become operational on time. He said summaries for the release of Rs12 billion to establish the colleges in DG Khan, Sahiwal, Gujranwala and Sialkot were still pending with the Finance Department. “The UHS has announced that classes will start on December 20. I do not know where they will teach their students,” he said.

“Public medical colleges are already working at full capacity and they cannot afford the burden of 400 more MBBS students of four new medical colleges in their labs and classrooms.”

Health Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2010.