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As per action taken by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, unregistered private medical colleges across Pakistan have been barred from admitting new students.
The term unregistered medical colleges refers to any institute of medicine that is not recognized by PMDC (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council). These unregistered medical colleges have been seriously warned by the Supreme Court that if they do not stop admissions, they will have to face severe consequences.
The reason behind this action goes back to a plea filed in the Supreme Court against medical colleges charging students excessive amounts of fees. A two-member bench of the Supreme Court including Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, took suo motu action on the petition and gave their judgment.
“I was criticized when I visited Mayo Hospital, but I will go personally whenever the issue is about my children’s health. It seems some medical colleges are also being run from small houses and garages,” said Chief Justice Saqib Nisar.
In Pakistan, there is such a huge requirement of doctors that quacks and businessmen have set up shops in the name of medical colleges and are charging students whatever amount of money they deem fit. They have turned the pious profession of medicine into an extortion business. Students who enroll themselves in these medical colleges face scenarios when they are overburdened by the fee and the institute holds no reliance on the PMDC. Their degree, then, ends up as almost useless.
Ordering that the fee structures of medical colleges and bank account details of their owners be presented to the court, and Justice Nisar also warned private colleges against backdating admissions of students to bypass the order issued.
