KARACHI: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) has urged the federal and the provincial governments not to put students’ future at stake for the sake of their egos and find an amicable solution to the medical and dental college admissions test (MDCAT) issue.

“The dispute between the PMC and Sindh health department on the MDCAT is intensifying. But neither the PMC nor the department is ready to budge an inch, causing anxiety among students as well as their parents,” said Pima president Dr Abdullah Muttaqi.

The PMC, he pointed out, had clearly stated that the medical colleges that would admit students with less than 65 per cent marks would not be recognised and the students concerned would not be registered.

“At present, students are suffering from mental anguish due to mere stubbornness of (parties involved). Their future hangs in the balance whereas there is no sign that this matter would amicably be resolved any time soon,” he said.

The Pima representatives also questioned the provincial government’s decision to take over Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)-run healthcare facilities and argued that the solution was not in bringing those facilities under the control of the provincial government.

“This is so because the provincial government-run healthcare facilities in the province are plagued with countless problems from shortages of human resources and medicines to machines in need of repair for a long time. Many hospital projects are incomplete,” noted Dr Zeeshan Hussain.

The government should have provided the desperately needed funds to the KMC for the smooth running of institutions instead of taking them over, he said.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2021