ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has issued show cause notices to eight medical institutions for alleged violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, which prohibits business undertakings from engaging in deceptive marketing practices.
The show cause notices follow an enquiry conducted by CCP into allegations of deceptive marketing practices, after a press release was issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in which twenty-two private medical and dental colleges were named, which had failed to meet its registration criteria for the year 2013-2014 and were therefore either not recognized, or had restrictions placed on their intake of admissions.
The enquiry found eight of the twenty-two institutions named by PMDC to have misrepresented their recognition by PMDC through their websites, and/or omitted to communicate the restriction on their admissions for the year 2013-14. These practices amount, prima facie, to the distribution of false and misleading information that is capable of harming the business interests of another undertaking, as well as dissemination of false and misleading information to consumers, including the distribution of information lacking a reasonable basis, related to the price, character, method or place of production, properties, suitability for use, or quality of goods.
These eight medical institutions include: Pak Red Crescent Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Mohiuddin Islamic Medical College, Mirpur (AJK), Abbottabad International Medical College, Abbottabad, Independent Medical College, Faisalabad, Women Medical College, Abbottabad, Hashmat Medical & Dental College, Gujrat, Bhittai Medical & Dental College, Mirpurkhas Sindh, (BDS), AJ&K Medical College, Muzaffarabad – AJ&K
Through the show cause notices, these medical institutions have been asked to respond in writing within fourteen days and to avail an opportunity of being heard before CCP on 4 August 2015.
It is pertinent to mention here that CCP is mandated by the Competition Act to protect consumers from anti-competitive activities including deceptive marketing practices.