LAHORE: Around 65,000 candidates, including 41,000 female and 24,000 male, will sit entrance test tomorrow (Sunday) for admission to medical and dental colleges in Punjab. The test shall be conducted by University of Health Sciences (UHS). The Punjab government has finalised arrangements for the test and has deputed senior bureaucrats as monitoring officers whereas medical professors will conduct the test. Divisional Commissioners and deputy commissioners of respective districts will act as ‘focal persons’ to look after the arrangements. The UHS will depute around 5,500 invigilators and 1,000 superintendents and deputy superintendents to conduct the test. The test shall be held simultaneously at 28 centres established in 13 cities of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Hassan Abdal. In Lahore, there are eight centres established at the Examination Hall of the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education on Lawrence Road, Examination Hall of Punjab University on Wahdat Road, Government Comprehensive Girls High School, Wahdat Road, University of Education, Township, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), Government Postgraduate College for Women Samanabad, Divisional Public School Model Town and Government College of Science Wahdat Road. Around 19,000 candidates will sit the test in the provincial capital. During a media briefing on Friday, UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Junaid Sarfraz Khan said that the Punjab chief secretary had directed all departments concerned to make immaculate arrangements for smooth and flawless conduct of the admission test. The district administration, under the supervision of divisional commissioners concerned and deputy commissioners, had finalized security and logistic plans at their respective centres,” Prof Junaid added. He said that district police officers would be responsible for security and deployment of police personnel at test centres. Police would ensure extensive patrolling and technical sweeping of the area before the commencement of the test. Walk-through gates and mobile jammers would be installed at all major centres. Entry of unauthorised persons in the premises of examination centres would be banned, he said. The vice chancellor said that parents and attendants of candidates would be provided waiting areas near test centres. “Traffic police had been directed to make proper traffic and parking arrangements to ensure smooth flow of traffic near test centres,” he said. “Emergency healthcare services will be ensured at all centres, which would include fully equipped ambulances, doctors along with paramedical staff and emergency medicines. Moreover, the nearest teaching hospital or district headquarters hospital would be remain on high alert to ensure a state of readiness to deal with any emergency. Arrangements have also been made to ensure uninterrupted power supply at all the centres during the test.” This year, the candidates shall compete for 3,405 MBBS seats in 17 public sector medical colleges and 216 BDS seats in three public dental colleges of the province. Besides, there are 2,590 MBBS seats available in 21 private medical colleges and 555 BDS seats in nine private dental colleges affiliated with the university. Published in Daily Times, August 19th 2017.