PAMI expresses concern on uniform admission policy for MBBS, BDS in Sindh

KARACHI: Pakistan Association of Private and Medical Institutions (PAMI) President Dr Tariq Sohail on Monday expressed reservations on Sindh’s uniform admission policy for public and private medical and dental institutions.

“Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and other stakeholders did not take us on board while drafting the 2018 admission policy,” the PAMI president said.

Dr Sohail expressed concern that as per the new policy, students from across Pakistan with 60 per cent marks in FSc are eligible for admission in private sector medical institutions.

“Last year, the requirement for admission in medical colleges across Punjab was 92 per cent while in Sindh it was 79 per cent so how can we now give admission to students with lesser percentages,” he stated.

“This also means that students from Sindh will not get admission in private medical institutions as their percentage is less than students from Punjab,” Dr Sohail added.

The PAMI president further said, "We don’t have the right to interview or assist candidates."

"Are candidates able to bear the education expenses as Supreme Court fixed the fee as Rs950,000 per year?" Dr Sohail asked.

Last week, Jinnah Sindh Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr Tariq Rafi announced that for the first time in the history of medical and dental colleges in the province, students will be given admission through a uniform policy.

Addressing a press conference at the JSMU in Karachi on September 28, Dr Rafi had said, “Only Sindh domicile holders are eligible for admission in public medical institutions while domicile holders belonging to other provinces are eligible to apply in private medical colleges and universities.”

Dr Rafi further said, “Only one entry test will be conducted for public and private medical colleges and universities.”

A JSMU spokesperson said, “There are 1,700 MBBS seats and 1,000 BDS seats in public medical colleges and universities across the province.”

“Over 30,000 students will take part in entry tests which will be held on October 28 in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Larkana,” the spokesperson added.

In the new admission policy, some changes have also been made to the quota of foreign students. Previously, students who did O and A levels were eligible for admission on seats reserved for foreign students but the new policy states that foreign national students should have acquired education from their respective host country in the last two years before applying.