The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) is facing intense scrutiny for its perceived inaction in curbing excessive tuition fees at private medical and dental colleges across the country. During a Senate question and answer session, lawmakers accused the PM&DC of failing to enforce its own tuition fee caps, allowing these institutions to charge exorbitant fees without facing any regulatory consequences. This has led to a financial burden on students and parents, who are now questioning the effectiveness of the regulatory body.
The Senate was presented with alarming data, revealing that several private medical colleges in the Islamabad Capital Territory were charging tuition fees far above the regulated ceiling. Despite holding full accreditation and seat allocations ranging from 100 to 150, institutions like Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Bahria University College of Medicine, NUST School of Health Sciences, and Foundation University Medical College were found to be demanding fees that far exceeded the approved limits. For instance, Islamabad Medical and Dental College with 100 seats charged over PKR 2.34 million, while Foundation University Medical College with 150 seats reported fees beyond PKR 1.95 million.
This trend of overcharging was not limited to medical colleges alone. Private dental colleges were also found to be charging fees approaching PKR 2.5 million for institutions with seat allocations between 50 and 75. The lawmakers pointed out that the continuation of such practices reflects a systemic issue of non-enforcement rather than a lack of rules.
The PM&DC's response to these concerns was met with skepticism. While they confirmed that the officially approved tuition fee for private medical and dental colleges stands at PKR 1.8 million per annum, with only a five percent increase permitted for the following academic session, senators questioned why these limits remain theoretical when institutions continue to demand significantly higher amounts. The council's repeated notifications and warnings were also called into question, as private colleges continue to operate normally while charging fees far beyond the approved cap.
The Senate debate also highlighted criticism that PM&DC has shifted responsibility onto students and parents by advising them to file complaints, rather than taking proactive regulatory action. Lawmakers argued that expecting families to challenge powerful private institutions reflects a failure of governance rather than a solution. They warned that unless visible enforcement follows, public trust in the regulator will continue to erode, and access to medical education will remain increasingly restricted for middle-income families.
In response to these concerns, the PM&DC informed the House that compliance reports had been sought from institutions and that a Tuition Fee Justification Committee had been formed. However, senators dismissed these steps as reactive and ineffective, arguing that committees and paperwork have failed to protect students from immediate financial exploitation. Members also questioned why punitive provisions under the law have not been applied despite repeated and documented violations.
