ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to implement regulations and ensure a policy of merit.
Committee Chairman Khalid Hussain Magsi said the PMDC should exercise its powers and fine all those private medical institutions that had failed to follow regulations.
PMDC President Dr Shabbir Ahmed Lehri informed the committee that the council had made a new merit policy regarding admissions in medical and dental colleges.
Lehri added that this policy controls extra charges in the name of donations, as some private medical and dental colleges were fleecing parents by getting high fees illegally.
He said some private medical colleges were not happy over PMDC’s policy but assured the committee members that the council would continue its work to streamline the system.
He said, “A profitable business has been started by some private medical and dental colleges in the name of medical education,” adding that education in these institutions was not up to standard due to poor infrastructure.
He said there was merit system in public sector medical and dental colleges, but private institutions were violating PMDC regulations as there was no mechanism to keep a check on these institutions.
The president said there would be a formula for merit, which would apply to the entry tests of private medical institutions, and it would be strictly implemented.
He added that any admission made in violation of merit or on the basis of monetary gains reported to or noticed by the council would be considered a violation of these regulations.
He said seats of colleges not filled by foreign graduates would be converted into open merit seats for local students with a local fee schedule.
He said some private medical colleges ignored the merit policy and gave priority to lowest marks holders just for monetary gains.
Earlier, the body also discussed HIV/AIDS (Safety and Control) Bill, 2013 and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
