LAHORE, Sept 27 The entrance test 2009 for admission to medical and dental institutions of Punjab was held simultaneously at 13 centres across the province on Sunday.

As many as 21,289 candidates appeared in the test conducted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS).

In Lahore, 6,025 and 1,040 candidates appeared in the test at the BISE examination centre on Lawrence Road and the UHS Hall, respectively.

In Rawalpindi, 3,299 candidates took the exam, Multan 3,218, Faisalabad 2,260, Gujranwala 1,273, Bahawalpur 826, Sargodha 663, Sahiwal 682, Gujrat 502, DG Khan 402, Rahim Yar Khan 480 and in Wah Cantt 310 candidates took the exam.

The government had made special security arrangements. CCTV cameras, mobile phone jammers and security walk-through gates were installed at all the centres with special arrangements for the disabled students. Generators were also provided besides the facility of first-aid and ambulance at all centres to meet any untoward situation.

Talking to journalists at the varsity hall, UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Malik Hussain Mubbashar said that highly scientific and sophisticated method had been adopted to maintain the secrecy and transparency of the examination papers and the whole process of the test. He said the chief minister had expressed his satisfaction over the arrangements. He said such test had been compulsory in both developed and developing countries.

“There is a variation in marks obtained by candidates in various boards across the country. It is, therefore, important that an equalising mechanism to ensure justice, equity, merit and transparency is in place,” Prof Mubashar added.

All divisional commissioners performed their duties as regional coordinators to ensure 100 per cent transparency.

These candidates would compete for 2,479 seats, including 2,263 MBBS and 216 BDS seats in 11 medical and three dental colleges in public sector and 1,150 MBBS seats in 12 medical colleges and 400 BDS seats in eight dental colleges in the private sector in the province.

The UHS has uploaded the answer keys of all five colours of question papers of test on its website www.uhs.edu.pk.