Islamabad: As private medical and dental colleges struggle to fill seats and students appear to be losing interest in medical education, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services on Monday discussed reducing the MDCAT eligibility threshold from 60 to 50pc, though the health ministry, regulator and vice chancellors opposed the suggestion.
The committee, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, took up the proposal while reviewing admissions, fee structures and vacant seats in private institutions. Members questioned why many colleges were still unable to fill seats despite a relaxation in merit during previous admission cycles.
“Why should the passing marks not be kept at 50pc?” Chairman Dr Malani asked, while also suggesting that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) reduce the proportion of difficult questions in the national entry test.
The committee did not make a formal ruling to reduce the 60pc MDCAT threshold. The proposal was discussed as one way of widening access to medical education, but members also noted that students admitted below the existing academic benchmark could face difficulties in completing the degree and clearing later examinations.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said vacant seats were a real and growing concern, but maintained that the problem could not be linked only to the MDCAT pass percentage or high tuition fees.
He said the ministry was looking at the issue in the context of other professional fields as well, where students were increasingly weighing the cost, duration and employment prospects of their chosen degree before seeking admission.
The minister said private colleges with vacant seats would be specially inspected. He warned that institutions which repeatedly failed to fill seats or maintain required standards could face action, including a review of their approved student intake.
“Those medical colleges whose seats remain vacant will automatically close down,” Mr Kamal told the committee.
The committee directed PMDC to inspect private medical and dental colleges with vacant seats and submit a report, explaining the reasons behind the shortfall. Members also complained that the regulator had yet to provide information sought at the committee’s previous meeting.
The discussion brought out the larger problem confronting private medical education. College owners have linked vacant seats to the MDCAT eligibility threshold and regulated fees, while lawmakers and regulators say the vacancies may also point to questions over high costs, quality of education and the prospects available to medical and dental graduates after graduation.
Mustafa Kamal said some colleges charging annual fees of around Rs3.5 million had no vacant seats, suggesting that fees alone did not explain why some institutions were unable to attract students.
At the same time, the committee took up complaints that certain private colleges were charging more than the fee allowed under the regulatory framework.
The minister said 61 medical colleges had applied for an increase in fees, but only 35 had fulfilled the prescribed criteria. He said no college could raise its fee unilaterally.
The committee sought audited financial statements, details of faculty, infrastructure and other material used to approve fee increases for the 35 colleges. It also asked PMDC to identify colleges which had not qualified for higher fees but were nevertheless displaying increased charges on their websites.
PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said notices had been issued to institutions against which complaints of excessive fees had been received. The committee asked for details of these notices and the action taken against non-compliant colleges.
Dr Malani said colleges could charge up to Rs1.8m under the applicable fee framework, but noted complaints that some institutions were charging more. MNA Aliya Kamran also raised concerns about facilities at Rawal Medical Institute, alleging that water had accumulated in classrooms.
Mr Kamal said the complaint would be looked into, while the PMDC president said inspections of old medical colleges were under way and inspections of 61 institutions had been completed.
The committee also discussed increasing seats in public medical colleges. PMDC said 468 additional seats had been approved in Punjab and 300 in the erstwhile FATA region after inspections, while Sindh had not applied for an increase. MDCAT 2026, originally scheduled for Aug 16, is now due to be held on Sept 20.
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