Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C), Mustafa Kamal, informed the Standing Committee on NHSR&C that vacant seats were a genuine and broader concern and could not be attributed solely to fee levels or MDCAT eligibility percentages.
The meeting of the committee was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, Member National Assembly (MNA), in which the Ministry of NHSR&C and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) were directed to undertake immediate measures to address vacant seats in medical colleges, examine fee disparities and strengthen monitoring of medical education institutions, said a press release issued here on Monday.
The Minister also stated that the Ministry had examined the issue in comparison with other professional fields and that the declining interest in medical education also required consideration.
The Committee discussed increasing the number of seats in public-sector medical colleges as one possible measure. PMDC informed the Committee that additional seats had already been allocated following inspections, including seats for Punjab, erstwhile FATA and Balochistan.
The Committee also discussed the position in Sindh in this regard. The Members of the Committee and the Vice Chancellors of admitting universities explained that enhancement of public-sector seats would require additional infrastructure, registration capacity and physical space.
The Chairman decided that a separate meeting would be held with the Government of Sindh and relevant representatives to examine the matter in detail.
Meanwhile, the Committee reviewed the PMDC’s preparedness regarding the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026. It was informed that the PMDC rescheduled the MDCAT 2026 exam to Sunday, 20 September, to ensure a transparent, secure and well-organized process and to provide relief to candidates.
The Vice Chancellors of MDCAT-conducting universities shared their input on various other matters, including the issue of vacant seats and fee structure of medical colleges, particularly institutions charging higher fees.
The Minister for Health informed the Committee that several colleges had asked for enhancement of fees and that universities could not independently increase fees. Of the 61 medical colleges considered, 35 had qualified on the prescribed criteria.
The Committee sought detailed fee justification and scrutiny along with the audited financial statements of each one of these 35 qualified institutions.
The PMDC was asked to share the status of institutions that had not qualified but were nevertheless charging higher fees and still displaying the fee on their websites.
PMDC informed the Committee that notices had been issued to non-compliant institutions and that monitoring was being undertaken.
The Committee asked for details of the notices issued in this regard. The Committee emphasized that any increase in fees should be supported by clear criteria and credible evidence, including educational standards, faculty strength, infrastructure and audited financial information.
The Committee stressed that vacant seats must be properly investigated before any further policy decision was taken. PMDC was directed to inspect private colleges having vacant seats and submit a report identifying the reasons for the vacancies.
The Committee expressed grave concern over the delay in providing the information required during its previous meeting and directed that the report be submitted within one month.
The Committee further discussed the need for regular inspections and effective monitoring of medical colleges. The Chairman stressed that institutions failing to maintain required standards or continuing to have substantial vacant seats should be subject to appropriate regulatory action, including reconsideration of their approved seats.
Regarding MDCAT eligibility, the Committee discussed the existing 60 per cent threshold and whether a gradual reduction could broaden access. The Committee cautioned that students below the existing academic threshold might face difficulties in completing or qualifying in subsequent stages of medical education.
The Committee noted the need to balance access to medical education with academic standards.
The proposed increase in the duration of the BDS program from four to five years, aimed at bringing it in line with international standards, was also discussed.
PMDC informed the Committee that arrangements would be considered for students already enrolled under the existing program structure.
The Committee also reviewed matters relating to the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC); it was informed that inspections of nursing institutions were being undertaken and that a new digitalized application had been introduced for inspectors to record inspection data in real time.
A separate complaints portal had also been established, while licensing processes had been digitized, enabling applicants to submit forms, fee challans and applications electronically.
Members appreciated these measures and stressed the need to address continuing complaints, including harassment-related cases.
The Committee decided that its next meeting would be held at the PNMC to discuss matters in detail.
The Committee was further informed that based on the Committee’s previous recommendations, work on the Pharmacy Council Bill had been initiated and would be shared with the Committee upon completion.
The Chairman emphasized that the Committee expected timely, evidence-based and result-oriented action from the concerned regulatory authorities, particularly on vacant seats, institutional inspections, fee regulation and the quality of medical education in the country.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Dr Shaista Khan, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Ms. Aliya Kamran, Dr Darshan, Ms. Sabheen Ghoury and Gul Asghar Khan.
The Minister for National Health, senior officials from the Ministry of NHSR&C and its attached departments also participated in the meeting.
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