Pakistan(National Times)- ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Senate standing committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, convened on Friday to discuss the hefty fees charged by medical colleges and the steps taken by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in this regard. Senator Palwasha revealed that in 2023-24, private medical colleges charged unprecedented fees for MBBS and BDS programmes.  The senator added that it is unjustifiable that the fees of private medical colleges have skyrocketed from Rs0.8 million per year in 2018 to Rs3 million in 2023-24.  Palwasha criticised the PMDC, stating that it has failed to regulate private medical colleges and has, unfortunately, become an aide to this unholy alliance. Ensuring anonymity, the senator invited the general public to submit their grievances against the medical colleges before the committee. She maintained that the hefty fees charged by the private medical colleges should be reimbursed to the parents of these young students. It also directed the PMDC to examine the audit reports of these medical colleges. Registrar PMDC Dr Shaista Faisal highlighted that under the 2023 Act, PMDC was empowered to regulate private medical colleges and ascertain whether or not the fees they charge are justifiable.  Earlier, PMDC had regulated the medical colleges but it was not protected by the law.  In 2012, PMDC had fixed the fee at Rs500,000 per annum with a 5% increase for private medical colleges. Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan said that PMDC was empowered in 2023 and asked whether it had taken any action after that specific period. However, PMDC failed to provide any details. Special Secretary NHSR&C Mirza Nasir ud din Mashud informed the panel that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has also constituted a committee to determine the fees charged by medical colleges.