Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, the new chairman of the Higher Education Commission. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Mukhtar Ahmad Malik on Friday informed the Senate that an agreement had been reached to fix Rs1.8 million as the minimum standard fee for private medical schools, while institutions charging fees above that would be required to provide a proper justification.
Responding to a question raised by Senator Rubina Qaimkhani during Question Time, the minister said that under the PMDC Act, 2023, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) did not have the authority to directly reduce the fees of private medical schools. However, he said the government intervened to protect students and parents from excessive financial burden.
He said the matter was taken up at the federal level and a high-level meeting chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister was held where representatives of private medical schools were invited. After detailed discussions, all sides agreed that Rs1.8 million would serve as the minimum benchmark fee.
Malik said it was also decided that any medical school that wants to charge a fee higher than Rs1.8 million must submit a clear justification to the PMDC. He said factors such as hospital facilities, compliance with minimum standards, patient turnover and overall academic quality would be considered. He informed the House that despite this agreement, several private medical schools later approached the Islamabad High Court arguing that the PMDC lacked the legal mandate to regulate fees under the existing law. The court subsequently granted an adjournment.
The minister said that after the trial, a number of private medical schools accepted the agreed framework and reduced their fees to Rs1.8 million, while many others across the country did not comply.
In response to supplementary questions, the minister said that institutions like Aga Khan Medical College were handled separately in view of earlier court judgments. However, he reiterated that even in such cases, any fee above Rs 1.8 million would require justification.
In response to another question, the minister also clarified that the OPD services at PIMS and the outpatient clinic are working in double shifts. He said the morning OPD runs till 10am. 2 p.m., after which the evening shift resumes and continues until 8 p.m
He informed Parliament that routine laboratory tests are carried out in batches, with most routine test results issued on the same day, while urgent tests prescribed by doctors are prioritized and delivered immediately.
