As many as 41,000 students will appear in the re-conduct of the Medical and Dental College Aptitude Test (MDCAT) for the session 2023-24 in four cities of Sindh on November 19 (Sunday).

The decision was taken in compliance with the directives of Sindh government and the PMDC, Prof Nazli Hossain, the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) pro-vice chancellor and focal person for MDCAT 2023, told reporters at Expo Centre in Karachi on Saturday.

Students would be participating in MDCAT for 3,600 MBBS and 1,190 BDS seats in public and private medical and dental institutions in the province.

Prof Hossain said that the preparations for conducting the exam have been completed. The medical entry test in Karachi would be conducted by the DUHS.

MDCAT is to be conducted simultaneously at Expo Centre Karachi, located at the University Road in Karachi, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro, Bilawal Sports Complex, Nawabshah in Shaheed Benazirabad and Police Training School, PTS Bus Terminal in Larkana.

Around 15,000 students in Karachi, 13,000 in Jamshoro, 4,000 in Nawabshah, Shaheed Benazirabad, and 9,000 in Larkana will participate in the test.

The Expo Centre Karachi has separate entry points for boys and girls. Strict security arrangements have been made to deal with any emergency situation in which law enforcement agencies, along with ambulances and medical aid volunteers would also be present.

All the instructions related to MDCAT have already been issued to the students.

Meanwhile, Laraka Commissioner Abdul Waheed Shaikh, acting on the recommendation of deputy commissioner, imposed Section 144 in the district to curtail any unauthorised activities during the entry test for MBBS and BDS admissions in the first year at the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) Larkana.

The specified restrictions cover an area extending 200 yards around the entry test center.

Section 144 has been imposed, prohibiting the entry of common people/unrelated individuals, photocopy machine shops, mobile phones, ladies’ purses, other digital devices, any test-related items, and other illicit items within the limits of the test center for one day.