Pakistan Halts Registration of New Medical and Dental Colleges
Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has officially halted the registration of new medical and dental colleges, following government directives. The decision aims to address faculty shortages in existing institutions, according to sources.
Under the new policy, applications submitted after January 5 will no longer be considered. However, 13 applications received before the deadline are still under review. Currently, Pakistan has 121 private and 66 public medical and dental colleges.
In a related move, the PMDC has also enforced a temporary ban on fee collection by private medical colleges. This action follows recommendations from the Senate’s Health Sub-Committee, which proposed suspending fee collection until the Medical Education Committee, led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, submits its findings.
Over the past five years, concerns have been raised about excessive tuition fees charged by private institutions, with some colleges reportedly collecting over Rs15 million per student. The government’s ongoing review aims to ensure transparency and maintain education standards in the medical sector.
For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned.