PMDC's Admission Criteria Being Implemewnted In Punjab: Kh.Salman

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 05th Nov, 2016 ) : Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health, Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that admission in private medical and dental colleges would be according to open merit based policy of Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC).

Punjab has become the first province to implement PMDC criteria, he added, according to a handout issued here on Saturday. Kh. Salman Rafique further said that under new policy, government had also fixed admission fee in these private colleges which will be deposited through online bank account of these private colleges.

He said that no other monetary benefit, donations etc. in addition to the fee, would be collected by the college. He said that it will be a replica of admission policy already in practice by government of Punjab for admission in public sector medical colleges through UHS.

He said that private colleges will have almost no role in admission process. University conducting the entrance test will be responsible for ensuring merit in admission in private colleges. Implementation of this policy shall ensure transparent and merit based admission in private sector medical colleges.

He said that previously talented students having good marks failed to get admission in private colleges as they could not pay heavy donations.

Kh. Salman Rafique said that it was the need of time to bring a merit based policy for admission in private medical and dental colleges.

He said that Chief Minister Punjab was promoting merit and transparency in all sectors, therefore, Punjab government had prepared recommendations for this purpose which were sent to PMDC for its consideration.

He said that a 5-member provincial admission committee has been set up. Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical education Punjab Najam Ahmed Shah will be the head of the committee while the Vice Chancellor of the university, principal of a medical college and two members of PMDC will be members of this committee.

Najam Ahmed Shah said that previously Punjab government had introduced centralized induction policy in public sector medical colleges through entrance test by UHS, after which the government introduced online induction for postgraduate trainee doctors and now third milestone has been achieved by introducing transparent and open merit policy for private sector medical colleges by implementing the PMDC admission criteria.

Nursing examination and admission system would also be formulated on modern lines, he added.