Daily Times

The Sub-Committee of Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan,convened today to discuss the hefty fees charged by the medical colleges and the steps taken by the PMDC in this regard.

The Committee has received complaints from students of Sargodha Medical University stating that private medical colleges are charging hefty fees without providing state-of-the-art facilities. The Committee forwarded these complaints to the Health Ministry and recommended that the anonymity of the students be maintained.

Senator Palwasha Khan stated that the PMDC should take action against private medical colleges charging excessive fees. The Committee recommended that the PMDC reimburse students for the extra fees charged before introducing the fee structure for the year 2024-25.

The President of PMDC informed that the recommendations have been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar regarding the fee structure for the year 2024-25. The Committee also directed the PMDC to cancel the licenses of private medical colleges within two weeks if they fail to comply with the Committee’s recommendations. Regarding the non-implementation of the rebate regulations by private medical colleges in Islamabad, the President of PMDC informed that the private medical colleges have agreed to rebate the amount claimed by the students.

The Committee also decided to visit the private medical colleges in Islamabad to observe the facilities provided to students in exchange for the hefty fees.

In attendance were Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan,Special Secretary for NHSR&C Mirza Nasir ud din Mashud,President PMDC Dr. Rizwan Taj and other senior officials from relevant Departments.