For the 2021-2022 session, the Sindh Cabinet has agreed to reduce the passing rate of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) from 65 percent to 50 percent.
“This decision would not only provide an opportunity for provincial applicants to seek admission in medical and dental colleges/universities of Sindh, but the seats that were going to be unfilled/vacant would be utilised,” stated Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
According to reports, 8,287 students passed their exams in Sindh last year, with a 60% pass rate, with 2,900 of them enrolling in the public sector. Only 800 of the remaining 5,387 students were accepted into private medical and dentistry colleges, with the remaining 4,587 unable to do so due to financial constraints.
Sindh is expected to experience a serious shortage of 10,000 doctors in the next five years as a result of the reduction in admissions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends one doctor every 850 people, while Sindh only has one doctor per 3,200 people, according to the CM. “As a result, if the scenario continues, the doctor shortage would grow,” he continued.
The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) performed a computerised MDCAT in October 2021, according to Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechuho. “The federal curriculum test puts Sindh pupils at a disadvantage and results in a low pass percentage,” she explained.
The merit will not be affected by the drop in percentage because it will stay the same as required by the PMC Act.
