Lahore: The Punjab Health Department has issued a new policy letter aimed at improving the quality of medical institutions and strengthening postgraduate medical education across the province.
According to a spokesperson for the department, the provincial government has ensured equal opportunities for candidates of both the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) and medical universities in postgraduate training programmes.
Under the new policy guidelines, which will become effective from the January 2027 admission session, postgraduate training for the second fellowship (formerly known as Level-IV) under the Central Induction Programme will be offered exclusively for university degree programmes leading to MD and MS qualifications.
The spokesperson clarified that candidates holding FCPS qualifications will also remain fully eligible for training in the second fellowship.
To ensure a level playing field, second fellowship (MD/MS) training seats available in government teaching hospitals under the administrative control of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department will be allocated on a 50:50 basis between candidates holding university MD/MS degrees and those with CPSK-issued FCPS qualifications.
The spokesperson added that graduates of Punjab’s medical institutions continue to earn recognition for Pakistan worldwide through their professional capabilities.
The Health Department reiterated that the policy has been introduced to further upgrade the overall standards of postgraduate medical education while maintaining a fair, merit-based, and transparent system for specialist training in public sector teaching hospitals across Punjab.