Fee limit for private medical colleges fixed at Rs1.8m per year

ISLAMABAD: The government has taken steps to control excessive fee hikes in private medical colleges, setting a fixed annual fee of Rs1.8 million to ensure transparency and affordability for students and parents. 

According to reports, private medical and dental colleges will now be required to submit financial details to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), and any future fee increases will be tied strictly to the Consumer Price Index (inflation rate). 

The decision to cap fees comes as part of the prime minister’s medical education reforms, aimed at preventing unjustified fee hikes and making medical education more accessible. 

Currently, Pakistan has 187 medical and dental colleges, of which 121 are private and 66 are government-run institutions.

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Sources revealed that some private medical colleges had been charging up to Rs3.5 million annually. The fee cap is meant to curb such arbitrary increases and address a longstanding demand from students and their families. 

Last week, the PMDC also approved a ban on registering new medical and dental colleges. Under this decision, no new medical colleges will be registered, and applications submitted after January 5 will not be considered. However, 13 applications filed before this date remain under review. 

The registration ban was imposed due to faculty shortages in medical colleges.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his commitment to equip the country’s youth with advanced technological skills, emphasising the importance of their role in driving the nation’s development and prosperity.

Addressing a launching ceremony of PM Digital Youth Hub, the prime minister said that as chief minister Punjab, he disbursed 400,000 laptops among the students who were high achievers in their schools and colleges. “This was the vision for which he worked hard,” he remarked.

He assured that all necessary resources will be allocated to provide the best training opportunities, enabling young people to become productive contributors to society.