PMDC Caps Medical College Fees at Rs1.8 Million
The move is part of a broader effort to reform the healthcare sector, with the National Assembly's Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination playing a key role in overseeing the implementation of healthcare policies and programs, including the Sehat Sahulat Programme and the regulation of processed foods.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has set a cap on the annual fee of medical and dental colleges at Rs1.8 million, with a 5% increase allowed for the 2025 session, in a bid to standardize tuition fees and prevent excessive charges by private institutions.
The decision, made by a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, aims to ensure that medical and dental colleges do not charge exorbitant fees, and institutions that have already done so will be required to refund or adjust the amount in subsequent sessions. The PMDC will also require institutions that need to charge more than the capped fee to submit detailed financial justifications, which will be evaluated based on separate criteria to be issued later.
The National Assembly's Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination has commended the PMDC's proposal to standardize medical college tuition fees and emphasized the need for strict enforcement of the fee cap. The committee also discussed other key health sector issues, including the Sehat Sahulat Programme, the regulation of processed foods, and the proposed "Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024", which was deferred due to the absence of its mover.
The committee approved the "Islamabad Capital Territory Compulsory Thalassemia Screening Bill, 2025" after amendments and expressed concern over delayed and corrupt experience certificates for medical professionals, demanding transparent processing. The committee also opposed the Establishment Division's directive requiring fresh FPSC exams for healthcare workers regularized since 2010, calling for a legal solution to safeguard their job security.
The PMDC's decision to cap medical college fees is expected to provide relief to students and parents, and the council's efforts to standardize tuition fees and prevent excessive charges by private institutions are seen as a positive step towards promoting affordable medical education in the country.