Medical entry test challenged in LHC

LAHORE: The medical entry test policy of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and has been termed to be against the fundamental rights of students seeking admission in MBBS.
Afzal Butt, father of an intermediate student, moved the petition through his counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique against the policy for entry tests to medical colleges issued in May 2003 by PMDC under PMDC Ordinance 1962 to regulate the admission process in medical colleges.
Butt said his daughter Humera Arshad Butt, despite getting 1000 marks in FSc exam was not given an admission in MBBS only due to the loopholes prevalent in the entry test policy. He said the basic merit formula was not justified as it weighed 10 per cent Matric marks, only 40 per cent of the FSc result and 60 percent marks were taken from the entry tests which was of 1000 marks.
He alleged that some students belonging to influential families were awarded up to 600 to 800 in the entry test and such students got admissions despite low marks in FSc. He said the policy of entry test was promoting a culture of bribery, nepotism, references and recommendation in the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Punjab University (PU) and the Punjab government as high level contacts played role in such admissions and the poor suffered.
He said that on September 6 2010 LHC directed the Punjab government, UHS and PU that the students who get 60 or 65 percent marks in FSsc were eligible to sit for entry tests for medical colleges and the order was complied partially but still obstacles were created for the students seeking admissions.
The petitioner said his daughter and many other students in entry tests of July 2010 of UHS and PU were awarded only 600 marks while earlier students used to get over 800 marks in entry test. As entry test marks were counted 60 percent and FSc marks 40 percent the fate of the students was decided by the testing committee and not by the FSC examination.
He prayed that Punjab government may be directed to revise the policy for entry tests in the larger interests of justice and fair play as students had been protesting against the policy for many years now.