The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has successfully completed 15,827 admissions across Punjab under the centralised admission policy of the provincial government, marking the largest admission cycle ever conducted by the university.
The process, which spanned nearly five months, culminated on Wednesday with the display of the ninth selection list for BS Nursing (morning and evening shifts) and the third selection list for the Lady Health Visitors (LHV) diploma programme, officially closing admissions for the academic session 2025–26.
For the first time, UHS was designated as the central admitting university not only for MBBS and BDS programmes in public and private sector institutions, but also for BS Nursing, Post-RN BSc Nursing, LHV diploma, and postgraduate diploma programmes in 10 specialities. In total, admissions were conducted for 10 different programmes across 204 medical, dental and health institutions in Punjab.
During this extensive exercise, the university processed 50,205 applications, ensuring merit-based placement through a unified, transparent system.
Vice Chancellor UHS, Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore, termed the initiative a “transformational reform” in medical and health education admissions in Punjab and extended gratitude to the provincial leadership for its trust in the institution.
“We are thankful to the Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department for reposing confidence in the University of Health Sciences and entrusting it with this enormous responsibility,” he said.
Highlighting the strengths of the centralised admission system, he noted that it has fundamentally improved fairness and efficiency. He said that the centralised policy has ensured uniform merit across the province, eliminated duplication of applications, and provided equal opportunity to all candidates through a single, transparent platform. “It has not only reduced the financial and logistical burden on students but has also brought great relief to parents, who were previously exposed to unnecessary hassle and, in some cases, illegal demands of donations by some private institutions.”
He further added that the policy ensured strict oversight even in the private sector. After the regular admission deadlines set by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), private medical and dental colleges were given an opportunity to fill their vacant seats, but strictly under the monitoring and supervision of UHS, ensuring that merit was not compromised at any stage, said UHS VC.
He also emphasised the transparency of the process. The entire system is digitised and fully auditable. From application submission to final selection lists, every step is visible and verifiable. This is why we received only a handful of complaints, and those too were related to minor technical issues rather than the merit itself. No one can question the fairness of this process, he claimed.
UHS VC also appreciated the efforts of the admissions team led by Director Admissions, Dr Rahat Abdul Rehman, for executing what he described as a “gigantic and highly complex task” with remarkable precision.
Prof Rathore further said that the success of this centralised model represents a significant shift from fragmented admission systems of the past, introducing standardisation, transparency, and efficiency at an unprecedented scale. By consolidating admissions into a single streamlined process, the policy has enhanced public trust and set a new benchmark for governance in higher education, he concluded.