FIA finds MDCAT exam in Karachi leaked nearly 14 hours before start time

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M. Waqar Bhatti

Islamabad: In contrast to Intelligence Bureau findings, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has confirmed that the MDCAT exam in Karachi was leaked at 8:16 p.m., nearly 14 hours before the scheduled start of the admission test organized by the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) officials informed a Senate panel on Thursday.

The forensic report by FIA’s cyber-crime wing prompted the Sindh High Court to order a re-holding of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2024 in Sindh, tentatively set for December 1, to be conducted by IBA Sukkur, PMDC officials added during the Senate Standing Committee on Health briefing.

“To prevent future paper leaks, PMDC is working on a plan to directly conduct next year’s medical and dental college admission tests. We are consulting with IT firms and national universities’ computer science departments to establish an IT-based, internationally standardized examination format that minimizes the chance of cheating or leaks,” PMDC President Prof. Rizwan Taj informed the committee.

Committee Chairman Senator Amir Chishti directed PMDC officials to present a comprehensive plan for implementing an IT-based admission test nationwide by December 2024 for formal review and approval.

Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti voiced concerns over students with marginal high school grades achieving high MDCAT scores and directed PMDC to develop a future plan for IT-based exams to curb cheating. He also suggested a public “Question Bank” to address the issue of out-of-syllabus questions.

Further, the Senate Committee discussed disparities in lab test charges, noting significant price variations in basic tests like lipid profiles and urine tests across private labs. Senator Mohsin Aziz called for standardized test pricing, while Senator Anusha Rahman recommended mandatory price displays at private labs.

Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Quaid Saeed said their act does not allow them to regulate the rates and charges of private medical institutions and laboratories, arguing any such effort would could seriously compromise the quality of health services in the private sector as they invest heavily on innovation and quality of healthcare services.

Senate committee members raised the issue of huge disparity in the consultation fees charged by the medical consultants and claimed that many of them charge fees in cash, and in this way, they deprive the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of their income tax.

Committee chairman Senator Chisti said instead of suggesting curbs on the private health sector, authorities and Parliamentarians should strive for the improvement of public sector health facilities to facilitate patients who can’t afford treatment at private health facilities.

The Committee also reviewed complaints from doctors at PIMS against the Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar on allegations of racism, nepotism, workplace harassment, and abuse of authority, which he denied. The Committee recommended the ministry form an inquiry committee to investigate the claims and report its findings.

The session covered additional issues, including allegations of black marketing of contrast injections for CT scans, with NHSRC officials affirming adequate market availability, and the Committee expressed discontent over the absence of the Pakistan Nursing Council President, calling for her attendance at the next meeting.

PTI Senator Dr. Humyun Mohmand expressed concern on growing polio cases in the country and urged the Chairman of the committee to include the polio situation in the agenda of next meeting to discuss it thoroughly.

Ends