PMDC, private sector medical colleges at loggerheads

Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) as well as the private sector medical colleges are at loggerheads once again over the admission procedure of college.

The council has issued large numbers of statements advising the aspirants not to look for the admission in private sector medical colleges that are disobeying the regulations of council, whereas the private sector medical colleges are utilizing their aspirants as well as the parents of their aspirants to resist the council.

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Last year in October, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council had announced that the government sector colleges will complete their admissions procedure before private sector medical colleges are permitted to begin their admissions. Furthermore, it was decided that the admissions into private sector medical colleges will be carried out via centralized induction procedure conducted by the government sector universities.

The private sector medical colleges got the stay orders from different courts across the country, arguing that the policy was announced very late and the colleges had already completed their all the procedures for the admissions.

Afterwards, the council had announced that the new strategy will implemented from 2017 onwards, and the decision of Lahore High Court said that the council had the right to make the strategies for the private sector medical colleges.

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The Pakistan medical and dental council warns the aspirants from bypassing the centralized admissions system, parent’s claims that the dispute puts future of students at risk.

This year, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council announced that the government sector colleges will complete their admissions before November 30^th, 2017, after which the private sector colleges will start their admissions. Though, the private sector medical colleges have already started their admissions procedures rather than waiting for centralized induction, even though government colleges have yet to complete their admissions process.

The council has issued a number of statements claiming that the aspirants who have sought admission by bypassing the central induction system will not be registered by the council as well as advising the aspirants to secure their futures and not look for the admissions in this regard.

The Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI), which has criticized the centralized admissions system many times and announced it to be a main source of corruption, on Monday issued a statement based on the comments from parents of aspirants telling the council not to play along with the future of students.

The statement given by Malik Riaz Ahmad, Rasheed Ahmad, Chaudhry Afzal Hussain as well as Abdul Aziz, appealed to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as well as the National Health Services Minister Saira Afzal Tarar to play a main role in solving the clash among private sector medical colleges and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

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The added that the aspirants should have the choice to select any institute and continue their studies calmly, adding that conflicts among PMDC as well as private sector colleges had put their children’s future at risk.

“Claims as well as the counter claims by PMDC and colleges have confused us to the extent that we are unable to decide where to admit our children and where not. We fear that if the issue is not resolved on developing basis it can spoil the future of our children,” the statement read.

Council member Dr Amir Bandesha said that the council has the power to solve the matter to improve the medical education while the courts have reserved the decisions of the council.