Council President Dr Rizwan Taj says excessive fees will either be refunded or adjusted in next academic year
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) President Dr Rizwan Taj said on Thursday that it had issued show-cause notices to 12 medical and dental institutions that were charging an annual fee exceeding Rs1.8 million, the cap set by the council.
In a session with media representatives, Dr Taj provided an overview of the council’s key achievements and ongoing initiatives. Several issues of public interest, including fee regulation, student welfare and institutional compliance, were discussed in depth.
The media representatives raised concerns that some medical and dental colleges continued to charge fees exceeding the Rs1.8m cap. In response, Taj assured that the PMDC was closely monitoring all medical and dental institutions to ensure full compliance with the fee cap policy.
“The council has issued show-cause notices to 12 medical colleges and universities, and we are currently evaluating 40 more cases after their petitions were dismissed by the court and subsequently referred to the PMDC,” he said.
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Despite ongoing legal proceedings, Dr Taj announced that an agreement was reached with the Pakistan Association of Medical Institutions (PAMI). Under the agreement, institutions would withdraw their litigation and ensure relief for students.
He said a follow-up meeting with PAMI was scheduled for the end of the month. During the next meeting, institutions seeking to increase their fees up to the Rs2.5m cap would be instructed to submit detailed financial justifications to the PMDC.
“Any request for a fee increase will be evaluated through a proper valuation process and will only be approved by the PMDC after thorough assessment,” Dr Taj said.
He reiterated that medical and dental colleges found charging fees beyond the approved cap — unless they had obtained prior approval — would be required to provide relief to students.
“Any excessive fees will either be refunded to students or adjusted in the next academic year,” he added.
Taj further emphasised that the council had consistently issued public notices and awareness messages to advise students and parents not to pay fees exceeding the approved cap.
“Every aspiring student deserves access to the highest standard of medical and dental education,” he said, adding that quality medical education was a fundamental right for all students, regardless of their financial background or social status.
Last year, the federal government capped annual tuition fees at Rs1.8m for MBBS and BDS programmes in private medical and dental colleges.
The decision was made by the Committee on Medical Education Reforms, formed at the prime minister’s directive and chaired by the deputy prime minister.
The PMDC had clarified that institutions seeking to charge more — up to a maximum of Rs2.5m per year — would be required to submit detailed financial justifications, including comparisons with similar institutions, services offered, and academic enhancements.
