The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination met on Friday under the chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Kumar Mallani, MNA, to review preparations for MDCAT 2026, matters relating to medical education, and reforms in the pharmacy sector.
The Committee was informed that the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 will be held on 16 August 2026. To further strengthen transparency and fairness in the examination process, the question bank has been expanded from 6,000 questions last year to 8,000 questions this year.
It was also briefed that each province will be provided with three separate question papers, from which one paper will be selected for the examination.
The Committee was informed that admissions to medical and dental colleges will be determined on the basis of 10% Matriculation marks, 40% Intermediate marks, and 50% MDCAT score. The MDCAT paper will comprise 45% Biology, 25% Chemistry, 20% Physics, 5% English, and 5% Logical Reasoning.
The Committee was apprised that approximately 135,000 students have registered for MDCAT 2026 so far. Since nine days remain before the registration deadline, the number of applicants is expected to increase further. The examination will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), with no negative marking, a duration of three hours, and minimum qualifying marks of 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS admissions.
The Committee deliberated on the fee structure of private medical colleges and decided that annual tuition fees should be capped between Rs. 1.8 million and Rs. 2.5 million. Private medical colleges will also be required to justify their fee structures. Furthermore, a third-party audit will be conducted to determine the actual per-student cost of medical education.
To further enhance transparency in the admission process, members of the Committee will hold meetings with the concerned Vice Chancellors of their respective provinces after 20 July 2026.
The Committee was informed that 188 medical colleges are currently registered with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), including 60 private institutions.
It was noted that private medical colleges produce approximately 22,000 graduates annually, while government medical colleges graduate around 14,000 students each year.
The PMDC clarified that reports regarding the proposed increase in the salary of the President, PMDC, to Rs. 1.2 million per month and the enhancement of TA/DA for PMDC Council members to Rs. 50,000 have not been finalized and remain proposals only.
The Committee also directed that medical colleges be asked to explain why approved seats remain vacant and to ensure that quality standards in medical education are fully maintained.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the briefing given by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, the Committee directed the Council to revise the Pharmacy Council Rules, 1967, to address contemporary challenges facing the pharmacy profession.
A draft of the revised rules is expected to be presented before the Committee in October 2026 for consideration prior to being laid before the National Assembly.