The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has issued show-cause notices to 45 private medical colleges across the country for charging students fees beyond the officially approved limits. Some colleges have reportedly demanded up to Rs. 600,000 in additional fees, raising concerns over violations of the prescribed fee structure.
The issue was raised during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health, chaired by Dr. Mahesh Kumar. Committee member Dr. Shazia Soomro informed members about the excessive charges, prompting the committee to seek inspection reports of private medical colleges for the last two years. The PMDC president confirmed that show-cause notices had been issued to the colleges involved.
The committee also reviewed the delay in implementing the proposed extension of Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results’ validity from one year to three years. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told members that the ministry had approved the proposal and forwarded it to the federal cabinet for consideration.
Meanwhile, Dr. Shazia Soomro questioned the delay in implementing recommendations from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) inquiry and demanded an audit report detailing the utilisation of Rs. 22 billion provided to the hospital over the past three years. The health minister said the ministry had implemented its inquiry recommendations, while further investigations had been assigned to the Ministry of Interior.
