During the recent session held with the assistance of the sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, an alarming problem was brought to light: exorbitant prices being charged by private medical colleges in Pakistan. The session, led through Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, addressed the financial pressure that college students and their families bear in addition to focusing on the ineffectiveness of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in retooling these institutions.
An Affair for Students as Private Medical College Fees go high!
The charges for personal clinical faculties have skyrocketed massively over the years. In 2018, the general annual cost was Rs. 0.8 million, but through the 2023-24 academic year, it has surged to Rs. three million. Senator Palwasha strongly condemned this trend, terming it an unwarranted economic burden on aspiring medical students and their families. She also branded the PMDC’s inaction as a conspirator in what she termed as an “unholy alliance” between regulatory bodies and non-public institutions.
Restoring Justice for Parents and Students
The committee appealed to the public to come forward with grievances against non-public scientific colleges, promising them confidentiality. Senator Palwasha highlighted the necessity of these hefty prices to be repaid to the parents of suffering students. “It is unacceptable that education, a fundamental right, has become a luxury only a few can afford,” she added.
PMDC Under Scrutiny
Registrar PMDC Dr. Shaista Faisal informed the panel that the PMDC Act of 2023 had given the council the authority to revise personal scientific schools and ensure that their costs had been reasonable. But this power seems underutilized. Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan asked PMDC what it had done after 2023, only to be told that there was no concrete response.
A Problem Made for Decades
The PMDC had previously fixed the annual price cap for personal scientific faculties at Rs. 500,000 in 2012, with an allowable 5% annual increase. However, these rules have been now not safeguarded by means of law, main to the unchecked escalation in charges that persists today.
The Senate sub-committee directed the PMDC to habits audits of non-public scientific faculties to verify their economic practices and rate structures. This pass is viewed as a integral step in making sure accountability and transparency. Stakeholders hope these measures will grant much-needed alleviation to households struggling to manage to pay for clinical education.
The situation of scientific university students and their families has become unsustainable. Though the efforts put in by the Senate subcommittee are in the right direction, the need for speedy and resolute action cannot be overstated. Controlling private medical colleges and checking exploitative practices should remain at the top of the agenda so that education remains accessible to all.
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