ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has set the maximum fee for medical and dental college students at Rs1.89 million for the 2025-26 session, marking a 5 percent increase.
Parents, however, have raised concerns that students admitted in 2023-24 are still being charged Rs2.7 million or more. They have appealed to authorities to intervene.
According to a recent PMDC notification, under the PMDC Act 2022, tuition fees for MBBS and BDS programs are capped at Rs1.8 million for the 2024-25 session.
From 2025-26, a 5 percent increase will be applied, with future annual rises linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate, as recommended by the Medical Education Committee formed by the Prime Minister.
The document confirms that the fee for 2024-25 was Rs1.8 million and will now rise to Rs1.89 million for the next session.
Parents argue that while the fee for 2024-25 is capped at Rs1.8 million, students admitted in 2023-24 are being asked to pay much higher amounts.
The notification also directs all private medical and dental colleges to publicly display their fee structure at least three months before the admission process, in line with Section 20(7) of the PMDC Act 2022. Non-compliance may result in penalties, including suspension of accreditation, halted admissions, or legal action under Section 33 of the Act.
The PMDC also provided a complaint portal (https://pmdc.pk/ContactUs/Complaint) for anyone facing issues with fee implementation.
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Last year, the Senate Standing Committee on Health took notice of the steep fee increases, following protests by parents. PML-N Senator Irfan Siddique highlighted the issue, prompting the Prime Minister to form a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to review and reduce fees.
Despite PMDC capping fees at Rs1.8 million last year, parents question why students admitted in 2023-24 are still paying Rs2.7 million or more. They have requested intervention from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the PMDC President.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) had opposed the fee cap. PAMI argued that costs for salaries, utilities, maintenance, and other expenses have risen sharply, claiming public sector colleges spend Rs4 million to Rs5.7 million per student annually. The association warned that strict fee limits could compromise quality, create financial instability, and affect healthcare services.
