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 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 a concern that as per the new policy, students from across Pakistan with as less as 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."

“Will the candidates able to bear the education expenses set by Supreme Court at Rs950,000 per year?" Dr Sohail asked.

Addressing a press conference at the Jinnah Sindh Medical University, in Karachi, on September 28, Vice Chancellor JSMU 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.” He said 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, for both private and public colleges.

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

In Sindh, over 30,000 students took the entry tests, which were held in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Larkana, respectively.