LHC grants admission rights to private medical colleges

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–Court declares PMDC’s Central Induction Policy null and void

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted permission to private medical colleges for independently giving admission to students.

The court has also annulled the Central Induction Policy of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and allowed private medical colleges to carry on with their regular admission procedures for the upcoming session.

The decision comes at the heel of a highly contested case where the private medical colleges had complained about PMDC’s new policy and had petitioned LHC to repeal PMDC’s policy that failed to sanction them the right for admission to students.

Justice Ayesha A. Malik headed a two-member bench of LHC that had earlier restricted private medical colleges from enrolling students and displaying final merit list until the court gave its final verdict on Dec 7.

During the court proceedings, PMDC’s counsel had mentioned that according to law only the University Health Services (UHS) has the authority for student enrollment and that under the policy, private medical colleges should not be allowed to independently admit students to their Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programmes.

The lawyer for private medical colleges countered that the colleges were still receiving admission applications from hopeful candidates and the students should be allowed to study in the institutions of their choice, regardless of their private or public status.

PMDC and YDA to challenge LHC decision in SC:

PMDC and Young Doctors Association (YDA) have decided to challenge the order of Lahore High Court (LHC) granting the private medical colleges right to independent student admissions.

As per the details, the order of LHC would be challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) separately by YDA and PMDC soon after getting the copies of the order of LHC.

The two-member bench of the LHC that declared the Central Induction Policy null and void has also declared the formation of PMDC as illegal and unconstitutional while directing the federal government to conduct the fresh elections of PMDC within 90 days. The PMDC would be allowed to only run the administrative affairs of day-to-day business until the fresh elections of the council are held, according to the order.

Furthermore, the LHC has also directed the Common of Council Interest (CCI) to review the existing laws of the PMDC and make new laws in six months.

YDA General Secretary Salman Kazmi, who was one of the petitioners in the case against the private medical colleges, told Pakistan Today that the future of 8206 students would be at stake after the order of the LHC as these more than eight thousand students have already applied to get admissions in the private medical and dental colleges under the Central Induction Policy of 2016 through the University of Health Sciences (UHS).

Dr Amir Bandesha, member of PMDC from Punjab confirmed to Pakistan Today that they are also approaching the Supreme Court against the decision of LHC as the case of PMDC was already pending in the apex court and no lower court can give judgment on a case that is already pending in a superior court.

It is worth mentioning here that there are 2700 seats of MBBS and 625 seats of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in 34 private medical and dental colleges of the province.

 

3 COMMENTS

  1. very poor judgement by LHC judfge ,this is like making corruption legal in medical admissions ,this should be coundumned

  2. Iditos judge

    they only want that Dr. must be like us Corrupt and lawless

    truly idots. shame on this

  3. Meanwhile pmdc has illegally earned Rs.1,000/- fee from each student for admission in private colleges against new criteria. What about that amount????????.
    The court must also ask PMDC to refund this (huge) amount they have collected from students.

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