**Pakistan Govt to ‘Ban’ Registration of New Medical & Dental Colleges**
The Pakistani government is reportedly moving to ban the registration of new medical and dental colleges, according to sources cited by ARY News. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has reportedly decided to halt new registrations, following government guidelines.
The PMDC has formally approved the decision, and any registration applications submitted after January 5 will be rejected. Thirteen applications received before that date are currently under review.
The driving force behind this ban is reportedly a shortage of faculty in existing medical colleges. Pakistan currently has 121 private and 66 public medical and dental colleges.
This move follows a recent decision by the PMDC to ban private medical and dental colleges from collecting fees. Acting on a recommendation from the Senate Committee, the PMDC issued a notice to institutions to stop fee collection.
The suspension of fee collection is in place until the Medical Education Committee delivers its recommendations. This committee, led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, was established by the Prime Minister to assess the current situation.
The committee is reviewing the standards and problems faced by private medical universities and colleges. Sources indicate that private medical colleges have been collecting over Rs15 million in fees over the past five years.