LAHORE, Nov 1: The Punjab chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association has expressed reservations over the violation of rules and regulations set by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for admissions to private medical and dental colleges.

In a statement issued on Thursday, PMA president Prof Dr Ashraf Nizami, General Secretary Dr Abrar Ashraf, Dr Tanveer Anwar, Dr Izhar Chaudhry, Dr Shahid Malik and Dr Salman Kazmi said that the PMDC had strictly directed all private medical and dental institutions to seek new admissions (of students) only after the determination of final order of merit by the respective provincial testing/admission authorities or by Oct 31, 2012, whichever is earlier.

Dr Nizami said a majority of the private medical and dental institutions in Punjab had conducted admissions well before the due date but the PMDC did not act to stop this blatant violation of the rules. He said the council had completely failed in implementing its regulations.

Dr Nizami also showed his displeasure over a permission to private medical colleges to conduct their own aptitude tests for admissions.

“The private medical colleges are extorting millions of rupees from the parents in the name of aptitude test, admission fee and under some other heads and the response of the authorities concerned towards this fleecing is pathetic”, Ashraf Nizami said.

Young Doctors Association Pakistan General Secretary and PMA office-bearer Dr Salman Kazmi also expressed identical reservations over the issue.

In a statement, he said according to the PMDC rules and regulations no medical or dental institution holding MBBS/BDS classes in the private sector shall charge tuition fee more than Rs600,000 per annum per student.

“Private medical and dental institutions are charging Rs800, 000 to Rs900,000 as tuition fee besides donations in dollars”, he said.

Dr Kazmi said all the private medical and dental institutions had completed admissions before the PMDC-given due date except the one which advertised for admission after the deadline.