Islamabad - Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and private medical institutions association have locked horns over the implementation of new admission policy 2016, accusing each other of violating the rules.

PMDC announced that admissions in MBBS and BDS courses in public and private sector institutions of the country and abroad shall be governed by Admission Regulations 2016, vide s.r.o.1003 (1) 2016 dated October 27, 2016 (admissions, house job and internship regulations 2016).

The council in its recent meeting unanimously decided that no medical and dental college can work in violation with the law and PMDC shall not tolerate any violation of the rules and regulations and set criteria of the council.

President PMDC Prof Dr Shabir Lehri said that the council in its 156th session showed serious concerns over admitting students in medical and dental colleges prior to the timeframe PMDC has imposed on them.

He said that it was discussed that majority of private medical and dental colleges advertised and admitted students before 31st October, however the admission process of public medical and dental colleges was not completed till then which is in violation of rules.

He also added that the council after several meetings with Pakistan Association of Private Medical & Dental Institution (PAMI) sent the recommendations to the ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination (NHSRC) for fee increase of fee in private medical institutions up to Rs800,000.

However, the council reversing its decision decided to cancel the fee increase recommendations and now as per admission policy 2016, private medical institutions are directed to take Rs64,2000.

Prof Dr Shabir Lehri emphasized that PMDC is the supreme regulatory body for the medical and dental education, any advertisement published from any unauthorized group or individual shall be ignored.

“All students, their parents and institutions are advised to strictly follow the centralised provincial and regional admission and entry test policy described in the S.R.O and all the other decisions done by the council.”

He also cautioned that any admission taken against these regulations shall be considered a violation of PMDC rules and shall not be registered by affiliating university and the council.

The violating institution shall be penalized under the Ordinance 1962 and the tuition fee shall be the same as mentioned in these regulations, he added.

Meanwhile, PAMI also issued notification addressing students and parents not to follow the directions issued by the PMDC.

The letter issued stated, “Sindh High Court in case no 2470 of 2016 has stayed the following clauses of PMDC Admission Regulations of 2016 (clause-9 sub-clause (3) (6) (18) (20), clause 12(12). Recent notice by PMDC is contrary to the court orders. All admission to private medical and dental colleges is legal and fully compliant with the court orders.”

Talking to The Nation, Secretary General PAMI Khaqan Waheed Khawaja said that around 100 private medical and dental colleges are registered with PAMI and the association is following the law.

He said that the current PMDC regime itself is illegal as its ordinance has not been passed through legislative houses. He said that PAMI is following the PMDC ordinance of 2013 which was approved by the cabinet and all other policies introduced by the council are illegal as they are not approved.

“PAMI in its general body meeting decided not to follow the PMDC directions till the new body is elected,” he said.

According to the new policy, a candidate local or foreign must have minimum 60 percent marks in FSc (Pre-medical). The merit formula for the entry test will be 10 percent matric marks, 40 percent FSc or equivalent, 50 percent (entry test) for local students and 50 percent (MCAT or SAT) for foreign students.

Selected candidates for medical and dental colleges will be required to submit fee within seven days. Seats not filled by foreign graduates will be converted into local open merit seats with local student fee schedule.

Each college will display its fee and online official bank account Number on its website. Tuition fee for the local student will be Rs 6, 42000 per year and fee for foreign graduates will be USD 18,000 per year. No student will be charged for any sort of donation or monetary gain in any form.