PMDC approves fee reduction plan for private medical and dental colleges

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has accepted recommendations on fee regulations in private medical and dental institutions, which have been sent for consideration to a specially constituted committee.

The final announcement will be made by Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, who is the chairperson of the special committee on medical education.

The recommendations call for a minimum annual fee of Rs1.8 Million and a maximum annual fee of Rs2.5 million for private medical colleges.

This would be a reduction of Rs0.5 to Rs1 million in comparison to the current fees ranging from Rs2.5 to Rs3.5 million per year.

Earlier, an agreed proposal of Rs1.2 to Rs1.5 million annual fee was refused by representatives of private medical colleges. The recommendations also call for an annual fee increase of 5 percent and for 35% of beds in the teaching hospitals affiliated with private medical colleges to be designated for social welfare patients.

Private medical colleges are also required to offer five scholarships per year and provide flexibility for installment payments to underprivileged students. The representatives of the private medical and dental medical colleges have agreed to the recommendations.