The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) is set to deliberate on the standardization of tuition fees for private medical and dental colleges in its upcoming Council meeting. The decision comes in response to growing public concerns regarding the affordability and accessibility of medical and dental education in Pakistan, said a press release issued from the council here Tuesday. It may be noted here that Members of the Senate of Pakistan a day earlier on Monday had expressed their serious reservations on the hiked fees being charged by the medical & dental colleges of the country. Senator IrfanSiddiqui had taken up the fee issue on Monday expressing his dismay that the PMDC despite clear orders by the House had failed to rationalize the fee structure.
“The officials of the PMDC had tried to hoodwink the senators and the matter is very serious and would be severely dealt with,” the senator had said in the standing committee meeting. While complying with the House’s reservations, the PMDC has taken a proactive approach to address these concerns by implementing a structured fee schedule to ensure transparency and fairness in the education sector.
The press release says that he council aims to prevent excessive tuition charges while maintaining high educational standards in private institutions across the country. PMDC is committed to ensuring that quality medical and dental education remains accessible to aspiring students. The regulation of fees is a crucial step in maintaining a balance between affordability and sustainability in private medical education.” The PMDC also apprised that an emergent Council meeting has been called which will include discussions with stakeholders, including representatives from private medical and dental colleges, education experts, and government officials, to finalize a fair and standardized fee policy. The PMDC remains dedicated to promoting equitable access to medical education while upholding academic excellence, the statement says.
Earlier in pursuant of the directions passed by the subcommittee of the Senate standing committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination meeting. All private medical and dental institutions were directed not to collect fee for session 2024-2025 from the students till the final outcome of the committee constituted on medical education by the honorable prime minister of Pakistan and chaired by the deputy prime minister of Pakistan to review and revise tuition fee of private medical and dental institutions of Pakistan. All colleges were directed to comply with the directives and to take necessary steps accordingly.
