The council has withdrawn its recent decision of increasing the fee of Pakistan’s medical and dental colleges and stopped the institutions from increasing any charges.

The ban has resulted into charge of annual fee not more than Rs 642,000 from each student.

The PMDC had allowed the colleges to increase the fee from Rs 642,000 to Rs 800,000 putting a condition that the colleges will provide all the facilities and services to the students and the donations will not be taken from the students.

Private medical and dental colleges have not only been increasing the fee but they have been taking donations from the students every year. The Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo motu action against the private colleges and it was decided that the colleges will charge Rs 550,000 from each student with an increase of only seven percent every year.

The fee was increased to Rs 642,000 in 2013 but the vows of increasing facilities for the students and dedicating 50 percent beds to the patients were not met.

The colleges tried to increase their fee up to 1.3 million PKR this year and negotiations were in process between PMDC and colleges. However, a few members of the council including former minister DR Sania Nishtar recommended that instead of negotiating with the colleges, PMDC should impose its decision on the colleges. Dr Nishtar resigned last month from her council membership.

The students belonging to middle class felt a relief on this decision by PMDC because medical education is becoming unaffordable for the middle class students with every passed year.