The Senate Standing Committee on Health’s sub-committee has instructed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to revoke the registration of medical colleges that fail to refund students’ fees. The meeting, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, included the Special Secretary of Health, the President, and the Registrar of PMDC.
During the session, it was revealed that two Afghan students, who gained admission to Sargodha University through the foreign quota, have faced challenges in obtaining their degrees, leading to considerable distress.
The Special Secretary of Health announced that educational institutions are prohibited from raising fees during the admission process. The President of PMDC underscored that rigorous measures would be implemented against institutions that do not return fees.
The spokesperson for PMDC highlighted that many complainants are concerned about potential backlash, which discourages them from stepping forward. The representative urged students to submit any grievances regarding medical colleges straight to PMDC.
In the present discourse, the Private Medical Association contended that the PMDC lacks jurisdiction to determine fees. In a decisive move, the committee has instructed PMDC to implement stringent measures and revoke the registration of colleges that fail to refund fees.
The chairperson of the committee urged PMDC to make the most of its powers and indicated that should there be a need for changes to the act, the committee would put forth recommendations. The committee has called for comprehensive updates from PMDC regarding the fee refunds.
Earlier in December, a Senate panel directed PMDC to reimburse private universities’ surplus fees and to impose strict penalties on institutions that do not comply. This followed prior discussions about the high prices charged by private medical institutions and concerns about the fairness of the admissions procedures.
