PESHAWAR: Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has formed a committee to examine the fee structure of all the private and public sector medical and dental colleges in the country and propose a uniform set of fee for students in both the sectors.

Officials said that the committee was headed by Khyber Medical University Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq. The members of the committee include Prof Rizwan Khan, Prof Syed Abdul Rauf Shah, Prof Ayesha Shaukat and Prof Waqar Hussain.

The panel has been formed for the evaluation of fee structure of public and private medical and dental colleges. It has been assigned the task to present complete details in this regard and submit its report to the council at the earliest. “The committee has already started work,” said officials.

The committee will present its report to National Medical and Dental Academic Board regarding details about the fee charged by different medical and dental colleges. It will propose a uniform fee structure. The committee has also been asked to send letters to all medical colleges about the fee being charged from students since 2020.

Sources said that there was a huge difference in fee structure of public and private medical colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the latter charged Rs60,000 per year from a student whereas the fee charged by the former was above Rs1.4 million.

The merit-based students, who passed entrance test, got admission in public sector medical colleges while entry to private institutions remains the ultimate choice for wealthy families, who can pay the hefty amount in lieu of fee.

A student has to pay Rs300,000 for five years in a public medical college whereas the expenses of private colleges are above Rs10 million annually. This has adversely impacted the standard of medical education in the country.

As per the Section B (7) of PMDC Act, 2022, all medical and dental colleges shall, at least three months prior to initiating the annual admissions process, publicly declare the fixed tuition and all ancillary fee structure on an annual basis for the entire program of study in which the students are seeking enrolment and which fee structure shall not be enhanced during the students period of enrolment at the college.

No medical or dental college shall seek, demand or receive from a student or a student’s family, directly or indirectly, any donation or other payment prior to or at the time of admission or thereafter during the period of the students continuing enrolment at the college whether as consideration for grant of admission or otherwise, it says.

Furthermore, Regulation 9 (1), (2) and (3) of Medical and Dental Undergraduate Education (Admissions, Curriculum and Conduct) Policy and Regulations, 2023, says that the college shall prescribe the tuition fee for the entire duration of the programme divided on an annual basis, which shall not be enhanced for the student during the entire duration the student remains in the programme.

Notwithstanding scholarships granted to a student, the college shall charge the notified fee from all Pakistani students and the college may charge a higher fee from a foreign student, who shall pay the prescribed fee in foreign exchange only, it says.

A student shall have the right to pay the tuition fee on a quarterly, six monthly or annual basis to the college and those paying the college on a six monthly basis in advance shall be granted a two per cent discount in the tuition fee and a student paying the college on an annual basis in advance shall be granted a four percent discount in the tuition fee, it says.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023