Punjab approves new medical admission policy

LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved a new medical admission policy on Friday, ARY News reported. 

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz on health sector reforms, approving key decisions related to medical and dental colleges in the province.

The cabinet approved the new admission policy for public and private medical and dental colleges, making it mandatory for candidates to pass the MDCAT exam for admission to government institutions. For overseas Pakistanis’ children, the MDCAT fee has been set at $10,000.

Under the revised procedure, once a candidate’s name appears in the merit list for a private medical college, one-third of the tuition fee must be deposited with the University of Health Sciences (UHS).

After the final merit list, UHS will transfer the collected fee to the respective college, while students will pay the remaining dues directly to the institution.

Read more: MDCAT 2025: Important Information for Students

The meeting also decided that after completing postgraduate training in private hospitals, trainee doctors will be sent for specialization in relevant departments of private medical colleges to address the demand for specialists.

CM Maryam Nawaz expressed delight over the first successful angioplasty at Sahiwal Cardiac Centre, terming it a milestone for the region.

She directed Mayo Hospital to establish a transparent mechanism for treating patients at its Ablation Centre and instructed authorities to ensure maximum relief for cancer patients.

It was also agreed that instead of building new standalone medical colleges, medical blocks would be established within public universities.

Maryam Nawaz further instructed for expedited steps to establish Nawaz Sharif Medical City, reiterating her commitment: “I want every cancer patient to have access to treatment.”