PMC rejects Sindh govt’s request for slashing MDCAT pass percentage

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on Thursday turned down the Sindh government’s request for slashing the pass percentage of MDCAT for admissions in the private medical and dental colleges in the province and advised it to bear the educational expenses of the poor but meritorious students.

“Today the vice chancellor of a medical university and the principal of a private medical college in Sindh met us and requested for slashing the pass percentage of the MDCAT for the students in Sindh. They were informed that it can’t be done due to the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan”, PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi told The News.

A three-member delegation from Sindh, comprising Vice Chancellor of People University of Medical and Health Sciences (PUMHS) Nawabshah Prof. Gulshan Ali Memon, Vice Chancellor Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) Karachi Prof. Shahid Rasool and President of Private Medical Colleges Association (PAMI) Sindh Prof. Syed Razi Muhammad went to meet PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi and Vice President Ali Raza at the PMC headquarter in Islamabad with regard to the concession in the pass percentage of MDCAT, however, only two members of the Sindh delegation, the VC PUMHS Nawabshah and PAMI representative met the PMC officials, while the VC JSMU Karachi did not meet them in protest against PMC’s stance of not considering their request.

The PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi said around 7,100 students from Sindh had obtained over 65 percent marks in the MDCAT, of which 2,900 would be eligible for the admissions in the public medical colleges of Sindh, while the remaining 4,200 candidates could easily be given admissions against the remaining 2,590 seats in the private medical and dental colleges in the province.

“PMC told the delegation from Sindh that if the eligible candidates are poor and can’t afford medical education, it is the responsibility of the Sindh government, PMC and the entire society to bear their educational expenses”, Dr Arshad Taqi said and vowed not to let the ‘undeserving’ children of wealthy parents to become doctors on the basis of their parents’ money.

On the other hand, the VCs of the two public medical universities in Sindh and PAMI representative said they would recommend for the establishment of Sindh’s own medical and dental commission through an act of the provincial assembly after the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) turned down their ‘official request’ to slash the pass percentage of MDCAT for the admissions to the private medical and dental colleges in the province.

Vice Chancellor of JSMU Prof. Shahid Rasool said around 1,860 seats in the private medical and dental colleges in Sindh would remain vacant due to the adamant attitude of PMC, which is not willing to provide any concession to the students.