ISLAMABAD: The confusion about admissions to private medical colleges does not seem to end as a stay order obtained against the decision of the PMDC to give admissions through government universities was vacated by the Lahore High Court on Friday.

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) president Dr Shabir Lehri claimed that all colleges would now have to complete the process of admissions through the public sector universities.

The new development created panic among some parents who had paid donations to private medical colleges for admissions as they did not know what would be the fate of their children.

There were complaints that the private medical colleges admitted students after receiving donations. On October 27, the PMDC got a notification published in the Gazette of Pakistan under which public sector universities would conduct the admission process of students to private medical colleges to avoid any complaint such as forcing students to pay donations.

However, the decision did not go well with the private medical colleges and four petitions were filed with different courts in the country against the notification.

On November 12, a student obtained a stay order against the notification of the council from the LHC after which the PMDC stopped the process of admissions. In the meantime, however, private colleges started giving admissions.

Dr Lehri told Dawn that the stay was sought by a student who claimed that she was a foreign graduate and would suffer because of the new policy.

“We pleaded in the court that the whole admission process should not be stopped because of one student who wanted to get admission on the 15pc seats reserved for foreign students. So the court has vacated the stay order on the 85pc seats in medical colleges. However, a policy will also be devised for the seats reserved for foreign graduates,” he said.

“As the stay was granted on November 12 and the last date for the submission of admission forms was November 14, we are considering giving two additional days to those students who could not apply,” he said.

According to documents available with Dawn, so far 6,544 admission forms have been received in Punjab - 4,227 by the University of Health Sciences Lahore, 1,641 by Nishtar Medical College Multan and 676 by the Rawalpindi Medical College.

The father of a student, requesting anonymity, said he had paid Rs500,000 to a private college and another Rs500,000 would be paid after the completion of the admission process.

“I am not sure what will happen to the amount which has been paid as a donation because I don’t have any receipt of the payment,” he said.

In Islamabad, admissions to medical colleges will be held through the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University (Pims). So far, over 9,000 applications have been received for the 1,300 seats in private medical and dental colleges of the federal capital.

Pims Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram said he had also learnt that some parents paid donations to private medical colleges for the admissions of their children.

“I suggest them to demand the refund of the amount paid as a donation. In other case, they should lodge a complaint with Pims and we will take appropriate action against such colleges,” he said.

“Now we will ensure that all the admissions are given on merit,” he said.

It may be mentioned that as the minimum marks for admission to medical colleges is 60pc, private colleges make an excuse that any student having over 60pc marks can be admitted. After taking donations from the students, the private colleges give them admission claiming that they obtained full marks in the aptitude test.

Published in Dawn November 19th, 2016