Punjab Approves New Rules for Admission to Medical Colleges

The Punjab government on Friday approved a new medical admission policy for public and private colleges across the province. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, focused on health sector reforms.

According to the new policy, passing the MDCAT exam has been made mandatory for admission to government medical and dental institutions. For the children of overseas Pakistanis, the MDCAT fee has been set at $10,000.

The cabinet also approved changes to the admission process in private colleges. Once a candidate’s name appears on the merit list, one-third of the tuition fee will be deposited with the University of Health Sciences (UHS). After the final merit list is issued, UHS will transfer the fee to the respective institution, with students paying the balance directly to the college.

To meet the demand for specialists, the meeting decided that trainee doctors completing postgraduate training in private hospitals will be sent for specialization at private medical colleges.

Other decisions included the establishment of medical blocks within existing public universities instead of new standalone colleges and expedited work on Nawaz Sharif Medical City.

CM Maryam Nawaz also expressed satisfaction over the first successful angioplasty at Sahiwal Cardiac Centre and directed Mayo Hospital to ensure transparent patient care at its Ablation Centre, alongside improved facilities for cancer patients.