The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has rejected a request from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to lower the fee for the September 22 Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), citing high costs as the reason, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.

PMDC Registrar Dr Shaista Faisal reportedly said “We understand the point formally raised by the KP government is valid but let me tell you that we’re not earning anything from the entry test. The fee charged from the candidates is minimal and necessary to cover expenses, especially when it is conducted at the district level to save students from additional travel costs.”

On August 6, KP higher education minister Meena Khan Afridi wrote a letter to PMDC president Dr Rizwan Taj, seeking a reduction in the MDCAT fee to help poor candidates to take the test to join the medical profession. “The PMDC has enhanced the medical colleges’ entrance exam fee from Rs6,000 to Rs8,000. We understand the importance of maintaining high standards and covering the necessary expenditure of the test. However, there are complaints about this high fee. We’ve learnt from reliable sources that the actual expenditure incurred on a candidate’s test ranges between Rs1,500 and Rs2,000,” he said in the letter.

The minister insisted that his province had been severely affected by an endless wave of conflict and instability due to which a considerable population lives below the poverty line and a hike in the MDCAT fee was an undue financial burden on students.

Reporter Amir Shahzad