Over 1,200 students find themselves in uncertain territory as they attend 15 medical and dental colleges in Pakistan, colleges that were not authorized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to admit new students for the 2023-24 academic year.
According to officials from the National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHS, RR&C), despite clear instructions from PMDC, these colleges went ahead and enrolled students illegally.
The former Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) had given provisional recognition to these 15 colleges and permitted them to admit students for the academic sessions 2019-20 and 2020-21. However, last year, PMDC explicitly instructed them not to admit any students for the current academic session until they conducted thorough inspections and determined their full recognition status.
The NHS official stated that despite these directives, the colleges violated the rules and admitted students anyway. They even requested PMDC to open its online portal for uploading student details, a request that PMDC denied. Inspections carried out last year highlighted various deficiencies in these colleges, such as inadequate faculty, poor teaching facilities, absence of a teaching hospital, and financial shortcomings, which prevented them from obtaining full recognition.
Senior Officials Involved in Irregularities, Inquiry Finds
An internal inquiry by PMDC revealed serious irregularities involving some senior officials, leading to recommendations for their termination. PMDC President Prof. Rizwan Taj clarified that these colleges must pass inspection like any others, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is now investigating the matter.
An official from FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad confirmed ongoing investigations into the illegal recognition and operational status of 18 medical and dental colleges by both PMDC and the former PMC.
Meanwhile, the affected students, caught in this administrative turmoil, face an uncertain future. With investigations underway and legal requirements unmet, these colleges face an uphill battle to regain recognition, leaving students and their families anxious about the validity and future of their education.
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As the investigations progress, authorities will need to address the consequences for both the colleges and the students involved, ensuring transparency and accountability in medical and dental education to safeguard the interests of aspiring healthcare professionals and the public they will serve.