Private Colleges Fees Will NOT Be Raised: PMDC

ISLAMABAD: Notwithstanding recent declaration by the LHC that it is presently an annulled body, the regulator of medical education, Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has nevertheless still made it strictly clear that no private medical or dental college are Pakistan are to charge extra fees from students.

Private colleges had recently been vying to raise the fees charged from the students from the current Rs 6,42,000 to an initially proposed Rs 13,00,000 and then later there was an amended request for Rs 8,00,000 to be the fees charged.

PMDC has officially directed the administration of all private medical and dental colleges of Pakistan not to charge extra fee from medical students.

PMDC has consistently directed private medical colleges to enrol students according to a standard, centralized administration policy, and to charge fixed, uniform fees. These directions have thus far been opposed and disregarded by the majority of institutions.

THE 2013 FEE POLICY STILL STANDS TODAY

In a recent turn of events, the Lahore High Court (LHS) annulled PMDC’s centralized induction policy and rendered the currently elected council invalid. This move thus allowed medical colleges to enrol students independently. Following this decision, colleges maintained and reputed that the Council is no longer able to function, or impact their decisions regarding admission policy or fees.

However, this is a false misunderstanding, as although the court annulled PMDC’s central admission policy, the fee structure, officials report that the fee structure is directed to remain the same (Rs 6,42,000). This fee structure was fixed in 2013, and will remain the same despite the current policy being declared null and void. This is because the fees structure fixed in 2013 was done so by the legitimate and official operations of the legally sanctioned PMDC.

This was confirmed by PMDC Secretary Arshad Nawaz.

The Supreme Court’s attention was also brought to the issue of the impending exorbitant fees charges by parents of students studying in and applying form medical colleges. Civilians pleaded Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to take notice of the issue. In the midst of this confusion regarding the fee hike decision, PMDC specifically directed the administration of all private medical and dental colleges in Pakistan to not take any extra fee in the name of donation and any other monetary heads.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

According to the PMDC rules and regulations, the medical and dental institution training for MBBS and BDS in the private sector shall charge tuition fee Rs 642,000 per annum per student excluding university examination fee, taxes, hostel fee, transport fee and one time admission fee, which shall not be more than Rs 50,000.

Copies of all receipts shall be submitted to the PMDC. The fee for foreign admission in private or public colleges can be in foreign currency and shall not exceed more than $18,000 per annum all-inclusive and not even a dollar over this shall be charged on any pretext, the council has stated.

Any other monetary demand or any other charge and donation on any pretext other than the annual fee as laid down in these regulations or any other noncompliance of these regulations if reported shall be construed a major violation and make the institution liable for action under section 22 of the PMDC ordinance 1962.