LHC rules against medical college fee hikes

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has issued a directive to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to ensure that all medical colleges adhere to the tuition fees and charges that were publicly disclosed during admissions for the session commencing in 2022 and thereafter.

This decision came in response to petitions challenging unexpected tuition fee increases by certain medical colleges during ongoing study programs.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan who presided over the case expressed concern over the proliferation of private medical and dental colleges, noting issues related to accreditation and standards.

See: PMDC applies for WFME accreditation

He reportedly said that medical education has turned into an industry catering to financially privileged students, leaving those without means at a disadvantage. To protect the rights of students with limited financial means, both legislative efforts by the government and court decisions have been employed.

Justice Khan deemed the objections to the petitions’ maintainability as misconceived, emphasizing that PMDC and University of Health Sciences (UHS) were respondents and legally obligated to regulate and enforce statutory commands.

The judge ruled that the prohibition against fee enhancement, now incorporated in the PMDC Act 2022 under section 20(7), cannot be overridden by regulations. He invalidated the increased tuition fee and directed PMDC to ensure colleges adhere to publicly announced fee structures during admission.

Justice Khan also addressed the language barrier limiting access to information, directing the translation of the judgment into Urdu for broader public comprehension.

A compliance report is to be submitted within 45 days.