KARACHI, Aug 30: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has taken strong exception to the mushroom increase in the number of unauthorized medical and dental colleges across the country.

A PMDC press release, issued on Saturday, said the council, at its 100th session expressed concern over certain advertisements in some national dailies by these unauthorized colleges at cost of the future of local youth.

It was further observed that these colleges, both in the private and public sectors, offering MBBS and BDS courses, were violating the law which prohibited offering the two courses or procuring degrees for the same without prior PMDC approval.

In this backdrop the PMDC authorities cautioned the candidates, willing to seek admissions to these newly-established colleges, not to take the courses offered by these colleges.

It was reminded that not only the courses but the degrees to be awarded by these institutions, would also not be accepted with the PMDC as per rules.

The public colleges yet to seek approval from PMDC were; Sukkur Medical College, Saidu Sharif Medical College, Swat, Gomal Medical College, Dera Ismail Khan, Sialkot Medical College, Sialkot, Services Medical Institution, Lahore and Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan.

Whereas, the private colleges yet to be approved by the PMDC comprised Abbotabad International Medical College (Abbotabad), Jinnah Institute of Medical Sciences, Peshawar, Al-Huda Medical College, Lahore, University of Faisalabad Medical and Dental College, Faisalabad, University College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore and Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Islamabad.

The PMDC authorities have also advised the sponsors of these medical colleges to follow the laid down rules and regulations and not to admit any students before the MBBS and BDS courses, offered at the institutions, are approved by the PMDC.—APP