Senate Body Expresses Concern Over Rising Medical College Fees

News Desk

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination convened on Tuesday to deliberate on the increasing fee structures of medical and dental colleges, raising concerns about affordability and transparency in the sector.

Chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chisti, the meeting involved extensive discussions on a compliance report from the committee’s previous session on October 9, 2024.

Addressing the rising number of dental colleges, the Minister of State, Coordinator to the Prime Minister, informed the committee that starting next year, only candidates appearing for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) would be eligible for registration.

Committee members expressed concerns about the authenticity of institutions, highlighting cases where students faced difficulties obtaining attestations from certain colleges.

Senator Chisti recommended the implementation of a standardized MDCAT system nationwide, emphasizing the need for IT-based testing to prevent paper leaks and malpractice.

However, Senator Irfan ul Haq Siddiqui countered, arguing that enforcing uniformity in the curriculum could contradict fundamental educational principles.

Siddiqui also stressed the urgency of addressing soaring tuition fees, urging the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to regulate fee structures effectively. He suggested a thorough review of fee increases and the establishment of a mechanism to control them. The committee members unanimously called for stricter oversight to prevent financial exploitation of students, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.

The committee chairman proposed conducting a cost analysis of private medical colleges’ fee structures and recommended surprise visits to the PMDC to assess the situation firsthand. He further suggested gathering details on colleges that fail to provide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scholarships, advocating for greater accountability.

In addition to fee regulation, the committee reviewed the Private Member’s Bill, The Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz on January 20, 2025.

Aziz underscored the need for price regulation in diagnostic centers, citing significant discrepancies in laboratory charges, which sometimes vary by 50% to 100%. The Minister of State suggested holding the Bill in abeyance for a month until a new framework for pricing medical tests is finalized.

Similarly, the committee discussed The Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Kamran Murtaza. Murtaza noted that the Bill had already been approved by the National Assembly’s Law and Justice Committee and referred to the Senate.

The Minister of State clarified that the government is in the process of rightsizing, merging nursing services, and consolidating various councils, including those regulating psychology practices, for improved efficiency.

Another major issue raised was the allocation of medical seats for students from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Former Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, pointed out that the number of allocated seats had been reduced from 333 to 194, despite an allocated fund of Rs 8.3 billion with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for these students. Afridi informed the committee that the matter had been referred to the Supreme Court.

Responding to the concerns, the Minister of State reviewed a letter from the Sindh Government and clarified that it had been misinterpreted. He recommended that if provincial medical colleges have available seats, they should be allocated accordingly.

Additionally, he advised the PMDC to withdraw the letter regarding seat reductions to avoid further complications.

The committee concluded with a strong consensus on the need for better regulation and oversight of medical colleges, particularly in matters of fee structures, student rights, and institutional credibility.

Further meetings and reviews are expected in the coming months to ensure the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.