THIS is with reference to the report ‘No MDCAT centre in Pindi division upsets candidates’ (Nov 9). The aspirants of the medical and dental college admission test from Rawalpindi division find themselves in a limbo as the test is scheduled to be held this week (Nov 13), for which they now have to travel all the way to Gujranwala to appear in the examination, which is the nearest centre available to them.

The long march by the opposition, which is currently going through the Grand Trunk (GT) Road towards Islamabad from Wazirabad, has compounded the misery of the candidates from Rawalpindi and surrounding areas who have to reach Gujranwala to appear in the examination.

Are the relevant authorities not aware of this stark reality? Or do they actually want candidates from Rawalpindi to miss out on this test? Nothing explains this completely irrational decision just days before the actual test.

This is the time when candidates appearing in any exam get down to the hard miles and do their best to be ready for the D-Day. The decision, even if it gets reversed, has caused distraction among the candidates at a critical time. In a way, the decision has already sealed the fate of many an aspirant.

According to media reports, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) also wrote a letter to the opposition leader to defer the march till Sunday evening in order to allow the peaceful conduct of MDCAT, which has already been delayed for two months due to the recent floods that hit major parts of the country. But no one is willing to make adjustments even though everyone loves to talk about the future of the nation.

My younger sister, who had been preparing for MDCAT for at least a year, now stands dejected. The policy of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) regarding MDCAT has remained ambiguous.

After a tug-of-war between the proponents of PMC and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the provinces have been asked to conduct the test this year. In Punjab, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) has been given the task.

The UHS has shown utter callousness by not establishing a centre in Rawalpindi, which is one of the biggest urban centres in the province. Now my sister has planned to reach Gujranwala a day earlier to avoid any mishap that may hamper her bid to reach the centre on time. She is definitely not alone in doing so.

It seems the authorities concerned are least bothered by criticism in the media, which is but an acknowledgement of the fact that facilitating the candidates was not the priority of either the UHS or the PMC.

A friend of mine from Attock will have to travel around 300km to appear in the examination in Gujranwala. Adding to his worries is the dreaded long march as he will obviously face obstacles along the GT Road.

Travelling such long distance is more challenging for girls as, in line with the local traditions, they need a guardian to accompany them. Uncertain conditions of traffic on the roads have disturbed hundreds of aspirants from Rawalpindi.

Do our students and youth, especially those who aspire to become doctors, have future considering such apathy by our institutions and politicians?

Muhammad Faseeh ul Hassan
Gujar Khan

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2022