PESHAWAR: The public sector medical colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will induct 200 more students compared to last year following indication of recognition of the two new colleges by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

“PMDC has decided to carry out inspection of medical colleges in Nowshera and Swabi,” officials said.

Sources said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inducted 1,000 students in 10 medical colleges, including 100 in four dental colleges every year, but that year a total of 1200 students would get admission with addition of two new medical colleges.

They said that nearly half of the seats at the medical colleges went to the students, who sought admission on the seats reserved for Fata and backward areas, while candidates from the province contested for the remaining seats.

Nowshera and Swabi medical colleges will admit 100 students each

“The government has been making new medical colleges to produce more doctors,” sources said.

Prof Ejaz Hassan Khattak, chairman of joint admission committee for public sector medical colleges, told Dawn that admission to Nowshera Medical College (NMC) and Gaju Khan Medical College Swabi would stand subject to recognition by the PMDC.

He said that last year 100 students were selected for admission to NMC in the entrance test but the college didn’t get recognition.

Prof Ejaz, also a member of PMDC, said that each of Swabi and Nowshera colleges would admit 100 students per year. He said that the colleges had infrastructure and affiliated hospitals due to which both would get go-ahead from PMDC after the inspection.

Prof Ejaz said that they were taking precautions to ensure that the colleges admitted students after they were accorded recognition.

PMDC recently recognised the dental section of Bacha Khan Medical, Mardan after four years. The provincial government is paying Rs57,000 penalty per student of the same college to win recognition for them. The first batch of students has completed studies at the college. The college was allowed to admit 25 students and double the number after shifting to the new building.

“The government wants to save the students from hardships in future and therefore every steps is being taken to put in place the desired infrastructure and establish medical colleges where people get high-level facilities,” said Prof Ejaz.

Initially, PMDC asked the students to pay penalty to be able to get degrees accredited by it. However, on the request of students, health agreed to pay the amount to PMDC.

Prof Ejaz said that the students would start getting prospectus and admission forms from the designated branch of banks from September 1 to 15. The students, who passed entrance test, could get the forms, he added.

Prof Ejaz said that there was a gap between entrance test and admission process owing to late results of A level examinations. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education announced results earlier than that of A level, which caused delay, he said.

“These matters are being decided in an inter-board committee to ensure that all eligible candidates avail their right of admission,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016