Punjab: MBBS fee hike gets Cabinet Nod, medicos likely to see major escalations in fee payments

The said decision has apparently been taken keeping in view of the fact that the fee for the MBBS course in the state for Government Medical Colleges was last notified in 2015 and for Private Medical Colleges in 2014.

With the massive surge in the price index in the years thereafter, these medical colleges are facing monetary hardships and are unable to meet the norms of Medical Council of India (MCI), thus urging for a fee hike.

These medical institutions had, in fact, been seeking a fee hike for a long time as they were facing hardships to provide good infrastructure and impart quality education to the students at the current fee rates.

Read Also: Punjab: MBBS fee at Private Medical Universities to get REGULATED

Now, considering the said plea of the medical colleges, the fee hike has been announced. In a recent tweet declaring the effect, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh said, "To ensure better medical education and infrastructure facilities for students, the Punjab Cabinet has decided to increase the fee for the MBBS course in Government and Private Medical Colleges of the state."

The fee for the full five-year course in government-run medical colleges from this session will be Rs 7.8 lakh from Rs 4.4 lakh previously (an increase of around 80%). In private medical colleges, the fee for government quota seats has been hiked from Rs 13.4 lakh to Rs 18 lakh (35% increase) for the course. For management quota, the fee is now Rs 47 lakh instead of Rs 40.3 lakh (around 17% increase), reports HT.

"For Adesh institute in Bathinda, the government has decided to decrease the fee, which will be Rs 18 lakh for government quota seats and Rs 47 lakh for other seats. Till now, this institute used to charge Rs 65 lakh per seat for the full course, claiming that it does not come under the state government ambit as its medical college is affiliated with its own university. Now, we have regulated all such institutes," state medical education and research minister OP Soni informed HT, adding that all private medical colleges will follow this pattern.

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that to end the tyrannical stance of private medical institutes with respect to the MBBS fee structure in the state, the new amendment the Punjab Private Health Sciences Institutions (Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Fee and Making of Reservation) Act of 2006 has been put into action. Now the Act is- Punjab Private Health Sciences Institutions (Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Fee and Making of Reservation) Amendment Act 2020.

Recently, the Punjab state Department of Medical Education and Research and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) officially informed all medical and dental colleges about the same. With this amendment, the state government will finally regulate the charges of private health sciences universities so that students don't have to pay an exorbitant fee.

The state shall regulate the admission, fix fee and make a reservation for different categories in admission to "private health sciences educational institutions," which include all medical, dental, Ayurvedic and homeopathic colleges in the state.

Read Also: Punjab: New Act To Regulate MBBS, BDS, BAMS Fees At Private Medical Colleges