LAHORE, Dec 14: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has directed 15 public and private medical and dental institutions to ‘accommodate’ 168 students of a private medical college, which is not ‘recognised’ by it.

The institutions which have received PM&DC’s direction are Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad; Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore; Lahore Medical and Dental College; FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore; Wah Medical College, Rawalpindi; Rawalpindi Medical College; University Medical College, Faisalabad; Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore; CMH Medical College, Lahore; Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi; Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad; King Edward Medical University, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore; University College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore; Foundation University Medical College, Rawalpindi; and Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Islamabad.

In a letter to the heads of these institutions, the PM&DC has asked them to admit students of the Independent Medical College, Faisalabad, by exceeding the (PM&DC) seat allocation not more than five per cent per session.

Some heads of public medical and dental institutions criticised the PM&DC directive. They say the college in question is not even provisionally recognised (by PM&DC) therefore its students do not qualify for admission to PMDC-recognised institutions.

PM&DC Secretary Dr Ahmed Nadim Akbar told Dawn these institutions had been directed to adjust Independent Medical College students on the order of the Supreme Court. “We are just complying with the court order.” He maintained the PM&DC would not press any institution to admit the college’s students. He said PM&DC had stopped the college from admitting new students till its recognition.

On the other hand, the federal health ministry has already notified the college’s recognition by PM&DC. The notification says: “With reference to the PMDC letter PF-2-D-2007 (Ordinance) 61991, dated Aug 9, 2007 and subsequent to the decision by the Supreme Court on Sept 24, 2007, Independent Medical College, Faisalabad is deemed recognised by PM&DC.”