Sindh delegation had requested PMC to reduce the MDCAT passing percentage for admissions to Sindh’s private medical colleges.
PMA president says “undeserving” children of wealthy parents would not be allowed to become doctors based solely on money.
After the refusal from PMC, delegation plans to recommend establishment of Sindh’s own medical and dental commission.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on Thursday officially turned down the Sindh government’s request to slash the MDCAT passing percentage for admissions to private medical and dental colleges in the province and advised it to bear the educational expenses of poor but meritorious students.
“Today the vice chancellor of a medical university and principal of a private medical college in Sindh met us and requested that we slash the pass percentage of MDCAT for students in Sindh. They were told that it can’t be done due to directives from the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” President PMC Dr Arshad Taqi told The News.
Sindh’s delegation comprising Vice Chancellor of People University of Medical and Health Sciences (PUMHS) Nawabshah Prof Gulshan Ali Memon, Vice Chancellor Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) Karachi Prof Shahid Rasool and President of Private Medical Colleges Association (PAMI) Sindh Prof Syed Razi Muhammad met PMC President Dr Taqi and Vice President Ali Raza at PMC headquarters in Islamabad.
The PMC president said only PUMHS VC Prof Gulshan Ali Memon and PAMI representative Prof Syed Razi Muhammad met him and PMC Vice President Ali Raza and during the meeting, they were told that as per directives from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, PMC could not grant them the concession they were looking for.
He said around 7,100 students from Sindh had obtained over 65% marks in the MDCAT, of which 2,900 would be eligible for admissions in the public medical colleges of Sindh while the remaining 4,200 candidates could easily be given admissions with the remaining 2,590 seats in the private medical and dental colleges in the province.
“The PMC told the delegation that if eligible candidates are poor and can’t afford medical education, it is the responsibility of the Sindh government, PMC, and the entire society to bear their educational expenses”, Dr Taqi said, vowing not to let the “undeserving” children of wealthy parents become doctors solely on the basis of their parents’ money.
On the other hand, the VCs of the two public medical universities in Sindh and PAMI representative said they would recommend the establishment of Sindh’s own Medical and Dental Commission through an act of the provincial assembly.
“Today, PMC officially turned down Sindh’s request to slash passing percentage of MDCAT for admissions in private medical and dental colleges in the province during our meeting with PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi and VP Ali Raza in Islamabad,” one of the two vice chancellors told The News.
It was learnt that Vice Chancellor of JSMU Prof Shahid Rasool did not meet PMC officials despite being part of Sindh’s delegation in protest against PMC’s stance that it would not consider their request.
The vice chancellor said around 1,860 seats in private medical and dental colleges in Sindh would remain vacant due to the adamant attitude of PMC, which is not willing to provide any concession to Sindh’s students.