Senate Committee Orders Fresh Inquiry into MDCAT 2026 Complaints

What was announced

• The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, has directed the Ministry of National Health Services to conduct a fresh inquiry into complaints regarding the MDCAT 2026 examination [2].
• The ministry must submit its findings within one week [1, 2].
• The committee directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to make the recent MDCAT question paper public within three days [2].
• The committee also ordered the PMDC to implement recommendations from the committee’s sub-committee regarding the examination [2].
• Senator Chishti warned that if the matter is not addressed satisfactorily, it could be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation [2].

During a meeting at Parliament House, the committee reviewed an inquiry report regarding MDCAT 2026. PMDC officials informed the committee that no irregularities or anomalies were found during the examination [1, 2]. However, committee members expressed dissatisfaction with the report, questioning how an inquiry into such significant complaints could be completed in a single day [2]. Senators raised concerns regarding alleged out-of-syllabus questions, discrepancies in the examination, and issues affecting fairness and transparency [2].

The committee also addressed the PMDC’s practice of collecting question booklets from candidates after the exam instead of allowing them to keep copies [1, 2]. While PMDC officials stated this was to protect the question bank and prevent unfair advantages for future candidates, the committee rejected this justification [1, 2].

Additionally, the committee discussed a recently introduced PMDC policy that required students intending to study medicine abroad to take the MDCAT. This policy was withdrawn following the committee’s intervention [1, 2]. The committee also unanimously approved the Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 [2].