Sindh’s caretaker health minister has vowed action against the Jinnah Sindh Medical University’s (JSMU) vice chancellor if found involved in the paper leak of the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023.
“We have suggested that the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council let students in Sindh retake MDCAT on November 19 so that they can get at least a month’s time to prepare,” Dr Saad Khalid Niaz said during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday.
“The authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also suggested the same date for retaking MDCAT in their province. The students resitting the test won’t be asked to submit any fees.”
Following reports that the MDCAT 2023 paper had been leaked before the start of the test and some students had secured 100 per cent marks, the Sindh government had asked the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) to conduct the test again.
On the other hand, a handful of students held at demonstration outside the KPC to protest against retaking MDCAT 2023, saying that they had spent time and money on preparing for the test and passed it.
They pointed out that owing to the wrongdoing of the organising university, they are being asked to retake the test, which, they said, is injustice.
But Dr Niaz said that an inquiry had found irregularities, establishing that the MDCAT paper had been leaked, following which the provincial cabinet decided on conducting the test again to ensure transparency in admitting students to medical and dental colleges.
He said the inquiry committee had also recommended asking the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate further, adding that if the FIA inquiry found JSMU VC Prof Ajmal Siraj Memon involved in the paper leak, action would be initiated against him and he would be suspended immediately.
The interim minister claimed that due to the paper leak, some students secured unusually high marks, and when the matter was reported in the media, the government decided to investigate, then it emerged that the paper had been leaked deliberately to benefit some students.
“I know it’s unfair to many candidates who worked hard, prepared for the test and took the exam fairly, but in the interest of transparency and to ensure that only eligible candidates get admissions to medical and dental colleges, we have decided to re-conduct the admission test.”
Responding to a question, he said he personally believes that there should be no MDCAT for admissions in medical colleges and universities, and that the process of admissions should be simple.
Regarding the condition of health services and facilities at hospitals in the province, he said people would start witnessing improvements in health facilities within two months, adding that they are trying to facilitate medical and paramedical staff to provide better health facilities to people.
Replying to another query, he said that in places where staff lacks respectable sitting arrangements, hospitals are without necessary equipment and medicines, arranging robots for surgery is a waste of resources.
“I’m not against robotic surgeries, but I’m questioning the priorities at the moment. Providing basic health facilities and cost-effective treatment should be our first priority instead of wasting resources on robotic surgeries.”
On the subject of the appointment of an executive director for the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), he said that a summary for the purpose had been forwarded to the then chief minister six months ago. He hoped that the issue would be resolved in the next meeting of the NICVD.
On the occasion, the caretaker health minister was accompanied by Sindh Health Secretary Mansoor Abbas Rizvi, the acting vice chancellor and registrar of the DUHS, and some other officials.
