Islamabad, The Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, met to address the surging fees charged by private medical colleges and evaluate measures undertaken by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
During the meeting, Senator Palwasha revealed the alarming increase in medical college fees, citing examples such as Abwa Medical College charging Rs. 1.87 crore for its MBBS program, while Akhtar Saeed Medical College and Hazrat Bari Sarkar Medical College demanded Rs. 1.34 crore and Rs. 1.29 crore, respectively. She noted that these fees had skyrocketed from Rs. 8 lakh per year in 2018 to Rs. 30 lakh in the 2023-24 session, deeming the rise unjustifiable. Criticizing the PMDC, Senator Palwasha stated that it had failed to regulate these colleges effectively, facilitating the exploitative fee structure.
Registrar PMDC, Dr. Shaista Faisal, explained that while the #PMDC has been empowered under the 2023 Act to regulate medical college fees, it had limited enforcement capabilities in prior years. She highlighted a 2012 mandate where PMDC had set a fee cap of Rs. 5 lakh per annum with a 5% annual increase, but this was not adequately protected by law.
Despite its recent empowerment, the PMDC failed to provide sufficient details on its enforcement actions post-2023. Addressing these concerns, Special Secretary NHSR&C Mirza Nasir ud din Mashud informed the Sub-Committee that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had formed a committee to determine reasonable fee structures for private medical colleges.
The Sub-Committee, in a firm stance, recommended reimbursement of exorbitant fees to the affected parents and restrained private colleges from collecting next year’s fees until the issue is resolved. Additionally, the PMDC was directed to scrutinize audit reports of these colleges to ensure transparency.
Citizens were encouraged to confidentially report grievances related to private medical colleges by contacting the Sub-Committee at Room No. 2, Parking Area, C-Block, Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, G-5 Islamabad, or by calling 051-9223955.The meeting was attended by Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, Special Secretary NHSR&C Mirza Nasir ud din Mashud, Registrar PMDC Dr. Shaista Faisal, and other senior officials.