ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical Commission issued a notice to Jinnah Sindh Medical University.
The letter stated neither Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), the Admission Committee, nor the Sindh Government's Health Department were constitutionally obligated to accept applications from private medical and dental schools.
Admissions to private medical colleges needed to be handled directly by the private colleges under Section 18(3) of the PMC Act 2020, based on the criteria presented in advance by each college. Further, the Health Department of the Government of Sindh, as previously informed by the Commission, does not possess the authority to change the admission standards outlined in the PMC Act 2020, which require the requisite qualification of MDCAT as determined by the Pakistan Medical Commission. This is in flagrant violation of the Supreme Court of Pakistan's August judgement in CP No.4944 of 2021.
Furthermore, The Sindh Government's Health Department, or the Sindh Cabinet, as referred to in the public notice, does not have the constitutional or legal authority to make decisions relating to the regulation of medical education or discipline, which is solely a federal matter, as the Honourable High Court of Sindh held conclusively in the judgement titled "Naila Maqbaal Laghari vs Government of Sindh" reported as PLD 2018 Sindh 391.
All private medical and dental colleges had been given the notice to disregard the notice and conduct admissions following the PMC Act, 2020 and the regulations enacted thereunder. Any college that violates the same would face immediate sanctions. In contrast, any student admitted to a private medical or dentistry college by JSMU in response to the aforementioned public notice would not be registered with the Commission. It would not be regarded as legitimate or reversible in the future.
Earlier, Prof Shahid Rasul, Acting Vice-Chancellor, JSMU, said that JSMU accepts 50 per cent marks in the national MDCAT examination as directed by Dr Azra Pechuhu, Minister of Health, Sindh.