ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has set a limit on the annual tuition fees for private medical colleges.
A committee formed under the direction of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, led by the Deputy Prime Minister, made an important decision on Thursday. The annual tuition fee for MBBS and BDS programs in private medical and dental colleges has been fixed at 1.8 million rupees.
Rising fees in private medical colleges have been a long-standing issue for the public, students, and parents. The PMDC had discussed this matter in meetings held on June 4, 2022, December 10, 2023, and February 23, 2024.
On February 27, 2025, the council decided to form a sub-committee led by Professor Dr. Masood Gondal. This sub-committee held three meetings and consulted with various stakeholders, including representatives from private institutions and the Pakistan Association of Medical Institutions (PAMI), before presenting a detailed report.
After a thorough financial review and based on the sub-committee’s recommendations, the Medical Education Reforms Committee decided to set the annual tuition fee for private medical and dental colleges at 1.8 million rupees. Any yearly fee increase will be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
This fee will apply to MBBS programs for five years and BDS programs for four years. The fee structure will be announced publicly and fully implemented to ensure transparency.
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However, institutions that want to charge up to 2.5 million rupees due to financial needs must provide detailed financial justification to the PMDC. This justification should include information about extra educational facilities, services provided, and a comparison with fees at other institutions.
Unreasonable fee increases will not be accepted. The committee stated that only well-supported requests for fee hikes will be considered to avoid unnecessary financial burden on students.
This decision is seen as a step toward making medical education more affordable for students, especially those from lower and middle-income families. The government of Pakistan is committed to strengthening medical education reforms to ensure that every deserving student has access to quality education.
Key attendees at the meeting included Dr. Tariq Bajwa (co-chair), Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State for NHSR&C Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, and Federal Secretary for NHSR&C Nadeem Mahbub.
Others present included PMDC President Professor Dr. Rizwan Taj, Vice President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) Professor Dr. Masood Gondal, Vice Chancellor of Shifa Tameer-e-Millat Medical University Islamabad Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Dean of Khyber Medical College Peshawar Professor Dr. Mahmood Aurangzeb, PAMI General Secretary Dr. Riaz Shahbaz Janjua, PAMI Vice President Dr. Ghazanfar Ali, and Dean of Aga Khan University Karachi Dr. Adil H. Haider.
