The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Council has approved recommendations regarding fee regulations for private medical and dental colleges.The recommendations have been forwarded to a special committee for review, while the final announcement will be made by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who is chairman of the special committee for medical education. According to the proposals shared by the sources, the minimum annual fee for private medical colleges is recommended at Rs1.8 million, while the maximum has been proposed at Rs2.5 million. 

Sources further revealed that, an earlier proposal suggesting annual fees between Rs1.2 to 1.5 million was rejected by private medical college representatives. Currently, private medical colleges are charging between Rs2.5 to 3.5 million annually, sources confirmed. An annual fee increase of 5% has been suggested. 35% of beds in private medical college-affiliated teaching hospitals will be allocated for social welfare patients. Private medical colleges will be obligated to offer five scholarships annually, the proposals suggest. A flexible installment plan for underprivileged students has also been recommended. 

The sources said that representatives of private medical and dental colleges have agreed to these recommendations. In 2012, the PMDC capped annual fees for private medical colleges at Rs500,000 with a five per cent annual increase, but this regulation was disregarded by many institutions. It may be noted that in July last year, the PMDC approached the health ministry seeking its legal opinion to bring uniformity to the fee structure. However, even after almost six months, the issue of exorbitant fees could not be addressed.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)