PMDC 'finalizes' order to reduce medical college fees

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has finalized an official directive to reduce medical education fees, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

According to details, the fee reduction order will be sent to provincial governments for implementation. The fee structure was determined by the Medical Education Committee formed under the directive of the prime minister, the sources said.

As per the order, the annual tuition fee for MBBS and BDS programs at private colleges has been capped at Rs1.8 million.

The fee cap will apply uniformly across all academic years of MBBS and BDS programs.

Starting with the 2025 session, there will be a maximum annual increase of 5% in fees. From the 2026 session onward, any increase will be linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Colleges that have charged excess fees will be required to refund or adjust the extra amount, the directive states.

No private medical college will be allowed to charge fees beyond the set limit without prior approval from PMDC.

Colleges seeking to justify higher fees must submit complete financial details to the PMDC for consideration. Legal action will be taken against institutions that fail to comply with the new fee regulations.

In 2012, the PMDC capped annual fees for private medical colleges at Rs500,000 with a five per cent annual increase, but this regulation was disregarded by many institutions.

It may be noted that in July last year, the PMDC approached the health ministry seeking its legal opinion to bring uniformity to the fee structure. However, even after almost six months, the issue of exorbitant fees could not be addressed.