The newly established Pakistan Medical Council has postponed the Medical and Dental Colleges Admissions Test, or MDCAT, due to the country’s current flood situation.
Wednesday afternoon in Islamabad, Abdul Qadir Patel, Minister for National Health Services and Regulations, made the announcement during a press conference.
MDCAT test postponed in view of flood situation – Abdul Qadir Patel, Federal Minister for National Health Services and Regulations
The newly constituted Pakistan Medical Council has postponed MDCAT test in view of flood situation in the country.#mdcat2022
— Ministry of National Health Services, Pakistan (@nhsrcofficial) September 7, 2022
According to Abdul Qadir Patel, the severe floods left electricity and internet services unconnected in several areas of the nation, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.
According to Patel, several students were prevented from registering for the MDCAT on the appropriate platform.
He claimed that students who had previously been unable to apply for the test can now do so through the necessary portal, and provinces will be in charge of administering the MDCAT. According to the health minister, these pupils can access the portal for a period of two weeks.
The minimal percentage needed to apply for admission to the MBBS and BDS programmes has also been lowered, the minister continued. He said that students can now apply for admission to the MBBS programme with a 55% grade point average and to the BDS programme with a 45 percent grade point average. He disclosed that this criteria had previously been 65% for MBBS and 60% for BDS.
Read More: WHO warns about Pakistan’s humanitarian situation
According to Patel, if a seat is not filled, this policy may also be revisited. He also said that the council had decided to examine the National Licensing Examination for Pakistani graduates, albeit it will still be administered to international applicants.
Floods wreak havoc across Pakistan
In a $160 million appeal to aid the tens of millions of people affected by the calamity, Antonio Guterres, UN chief, pleaded with the international community to support Pakistan.
“The persistent impact of epochal amounts of rain and flooding,” he said as his excuse.
Read More: Apple to donate for Pakistan flood relief efforts
Since June, at least 1,136 people have died, while bridges, crops, homes, and highways have all been destroyed nationwide. The terrible floods of 2010, which claimed more than 2,000 lives and were the deadliest in Pakistani history, are comparable to this year’s record monsoon.