APROPOS the letter ‘JSMU admission’ (Nov 27). Providing the children of the poor the opportunity to enter medical school is the responsibility of society and the state. However, the facilities provided by these colleges incur a lot of expenses. Even to maintain minimum standards is an expensive proposition.

Private medical colleges should offer financial help and scholarships to deserving students, but there is a certain procedure that has to be followed.

In this respect, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has prescribed a quota for deserving candidates. PMDC rules state that the concerned university’s rules and regulations, in this case, the Jinnah Sindh Medical University, are to be followed by the candidate.

The writer states that the eighth requirement in the advertisement is a mistake. This is not sos as the requirement is the same as that laid down by the universities of Punjab as well the PMDC Admission Regulations, 2018.

There are hundreds of cases where students have managed to pay the first year tuition fee and even managed the second year fees and then they fall behind in payments. The medical college meanwhile continues to pay staff salaries besides amenities and other expenses.

Perhaps such students can be funded through some sort of public-private scheme for which all stakeholders can sit down and come at a mutually beneficial decison.

Dr Mohammad Asif Durrani

Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2018