High-level committee demanded to investigate ‘irregularities’ in MDCAT

The central leaders of the All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation (APMSO) have demanded that a high-level committee investigate the alleged irregularities observed in the medical and dental colleges admissions test (MDCAT) that was held in Sindh last week.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday, they said the doors of the medical field should be open for all students as access to higher education was a right of everyone.

APMSO central leader Rehan Shah said that the students could become competent doctors like Dr Adib Rizvi and Dr Tahir Shamsi only when their education was facilitated. He alleged that various irregularities were observed in the recent MDCAT in Sindh. He claimed that the Pakistan Medical Council had on October 26 issued a notification stating that MDCAT would be conducted at the provincial level on November 13 under the its syllabus.

However, questions in the test were out of the syllabus, he alleged, adding that there were some questions whose answers were not even mentioned in the answer key. APMSO central member Sharjeel Baig said that last year, more than 3,000 seats remained vacant due to such mismanagement by the authorities. Like an army was necessary for the security of the country, doctors were also necessary for health care of the citizens, he added.

The student leaders demanded that the results of the test be postponed immediately and a high-level committee formed to investigate the out-of-syllabus questions. A model question paper should be uploaded on the Pakistan Medical Council’s website, they said.