PAMI rejects central induction policy of the Punjab govt

LAHORE: The Pakistan Associates of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) has firmly rejected the central induction policy issued by the Punjab government, asserting that it lacks legal validity, according to a statement released by PIMA.

The Punjab government had officially released the admission policy for the upcoming academic session of 2023-24, specifically tailored for medical and dental colleges within the province.

Under this policy, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) has been granted the authority to conduct admissions for both public and private medical and dental institutions across Punjab. The notification was issued by the Specialized Health Care and Medical Education Department following approval from the Punjab caretaker cabinet.

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In its statement, PAMI cited the central induction policy as a failed experiment in the past, plagued by numerous issues.

The organization highlighted that in both 2018 and 2019, a total of 230 seats remained vacant due to the inadequacies of the central induction policy.

“118 seats were unfilled in 2019 and 2020 as well,” the statement added.

PAMI underscored that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had previously abandoned this policy, necessitating the refilling of vacant seats.

The persisting issue of hundreds of vacant seats has resulted in significant losses, as noted in the PAMI statement. Private medical colleges have been directed to follow the instructions of the PMDC and the federal government regarding admissions.

The admission process, set to conclude on or before September 1, is nearly complete, according to the organization. PAMI further revealed that the admissions would be conducted via an online portal in a transparent manner, with the final merit and admission lists to be provided to the council.

Additionally, PAMI announced that it has written a letter to the Caretaker Health Minister, Professor Javed Akram, expressing concerns about the detrimental impact of the Central Induction Policy.