The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) couldn’t finalize the tuition fee for the session of 2024 - 2025, during Thursday's meeting. The council decided to reassess the tuition fee proposed by the private medical institutes before finalizing anything.
A council member of the PMDC revealed that members of the councils are divided in their decisions by not taking decisions unanimously. The council is also not agreeing on a fixed amount of PKR 1.2 million, suggested by a special committee.
Private Institutions Oppose Fee Cap
The Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) opposed the decision of a ceiling fee for medical students. PAMI explained that the PMDC doesn't have the authority to impose tuition fees on private institutions.
Legal experts advised that private colleges are required to inform PMDC about fee structure before starting academic sessions rather than letting them be regulated by the institute. The PMDC also asked the committee to review the medical institutes' fee structure within a week to identify whether they are justified or not.
Background of the Fee Regulation Proposal
Previous committee of PMDC and federal health minister suggested capping the annual tuition fees at Rs1,212,468 to prevent excessive charges. Currently tuition fees range between 2.5 million to 3 million, causing a heavy financial burden on parents and students.
Both PMDC and the federal health ministry were under pressure from parliamentarians and parents to regulate medical tuition fees to avoid charging unjustified charges. Now the fees have increased over the years.
Historical Fee Changes and Supreme Court Intervention
Tuition fees were
2010: Tuition fees were Rs500,000 per year
2012: Tuition fees were Rs 600,000 per year
2018: The Supreme Court decided a cap of PKR 8,80,000 with 5%surge annually
2020-21: The tuition fees reached Rs 9.9 million
Present: Now colleges are charging Rs 2.5 million to Rs 3 million per year
The sub-committee proposed a fee of Rs1,212,468 which remains fixed for the entire duration of a student’s enrollment to avoid extra charges.
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Call for Stricter Regulations
The committee also asked for strict enforcement, including
Audit to monitor order compliance
Financial transparency
Strict penalties for non-compliance
The PMDC Council is undecided about the future fees, which leaves parents and students in limbo.
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