PMDC orders closure of two Medical colleges

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has advised 1,000 students from the Yusra Medical and Dental College Islamabad (YMDCI) and Continental Medical College in Lahore to submit their college preferences, as it has been decided that both institutions will be shut down and their students moved to other colleges.

YMDCI Principal retired Brig Mohammad Sultan told Dawn this decision has put the future of the college’s 500 students at stake. Students should at least have been directed to leave the college when the new academic session begins in January 2019, he said.

But PMDC Registrar Dr Waseem Hashmi said the future of the students of both colleges had already been disturbed, and the council’s decision to adjust them in other institutions will secure and streamline their future.

In a letter available with Dawn, students were told that the PMDC executive committee has recommended the closure of YMDCI and directed for its students to be adjusted in other recognised medical colleges.

Principal of Islamabad-based college says decision has put future of 500 students at stake

The letter, signed by Dr Hashmi, states: “In compliance to the above, you are directed to provide the enclosed performs duly filled in all aspects to the undersigned as early as possible. However, it is the right of council to adjust any student in any medical college at its own discretion.”

The letter is applicable to all those currently studying at the college; students who have left for any reason - such as being struck off, dropping out or migrating - will not be entertained in the adjustment, it said.

Mr Sultan said YMDCI applied for registration in 2009 but was rejected for its lack of facilities. It met these deficiencies and applied against in 2010 and was registered.

“The National Accountability Bureau began investigating colleges registered during the tenure of Dr Asim Hussain,due to allegations that colleges were registered after taking bribes. Inspection teams visited the college twice and even held a surprise visit. The last inspection was onFeb 27this year.

“We were told that the cantonment board hospital, which was affiliated with the college as the teaching hospital, was not up to the mark. So we made an agreement with a private hospital in the twin cities, but now we have been told that the college’s declaration has been cancelled,” he said.

He alleged that the PMDC was against the YMDCI. The council had sealed the YMDCI a few years ago, after which the college went to court.

“We have a six-storey state-of-the-art college building in Zone V. There are 200 faculty members in the college. But suddenly we have been directed to close the college and students have been told to select 11 medical colleges where they want to be shifted,” he said.

He said 140 students, of which 100 are women, have been living at the hostel.

“Some of the female students belong to the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, southern Punjab and other areas, so it won’t be possible for them to find places in hostels,” he said, adding: “The next exams are going to be held within a month, so it would have been much better if the council had allowed students to continue studying until the examine and they could have been sent to other colleges after that.”

The principal appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to carry out a “neutral inspection” of the college, saying: “We are sure we have all the facilities required by the council. Moreover, the council has no right to put the future of 500 students at stake.”

A council official who requested anonymity said the council has been working to address YMDCI’s issues for three years.

“The fact is that a number of times, students and their parents contacted the council and asked for action to be taken because there were so many deficiencies,” he said.

 

[MenInG]

Anyone with knowledge of state of medical colleges in Pakistan pls comment

 

[moghul]

Most of the private medical colleges in Pakistan, with the exception of Agha Khan University need to closed down. No standard , no merit for admission, only cheap way to make money.

 

[zeusathon]

If your parents are filthy rich, they will make you doc no matter what happen. That is why health care quality is going down each day.

 

[Mamoon]

^

This is it in a nutshell. Apart from a select few, the quality of private medical colleges in Pakistan is very poor because of the low merit.

If you can afford it, you will become a doctor. However, these doctors are often exposed when they apply for specialization and give exams like USMLE, PLEB and even FCPS.

Also, if you open private clinics, you will not get much business because people are skeptical about doctors with degrees from private medical colleges.

Parents and students often show short-sightedness when it comes to their desperation of having Dr. with their names. If you cannot get into a public medical college or a very good private one, you will be better off changing your field.

Going to an ordinary private medical college will have negative long-term consequences, consequences that people often fail to foresee because they are blinded by their desire to keep up with the societal norms of Pakistan.

 

[sweep_shot]

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday admitted for regular hearing a petition against dissolution of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

The court issued notices to the secretaries to the president, cabinet division and law and health ministries, chief commissioner, attorney general and the president of the newly established Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and adjourned the hearing till Nov 8.

President Dr Arif Alvi has recently promulgated an ordinance which has left the PMDC dissolved and paved the way for the establishment of the PMC.

Moreover, the national health services ministry through the Islamabad district administration and police took over the possession of the PMDC building and informed its

The registrar of erstwhile PMDC, retired Brig Dr Hafizud Din, and 31 employees moved the IHC, stating that an act of parliament gave powers to the government to dissolve the PMDC, but its president, vice president and the executive committee would stay intact till the appointment of newcomers after the elections which were to be held within one year.

Moreover, the federal government was authorised to appoint an officer, not below the rank of **-20, as an administrator to head the executive committee. The administrator and the executive committee were to exercise powers of the council till the constitution of a new council, the petition said.

According to the petition, the Supreme Court had last year set the criteria for promulgation of an ordinance.

It said: “The Senate of Pakistan on August 29, 2019 after due deliberation on the provisions of the Ordinance and voting…disapproved the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Ordinance 2019; however, the President of Pakistan has again promulgated the identical provisions of the PMDC Ordinance 2019.’’

The petition said that the services of the PMDC employees were terminated without giving them a proper opportunity of hearing. It expressed apprehensions that the newly formed PMC may hire the services of new employees against the sanctioned and contractual positions through other mode after issuance of advertisement which would jeopardise the vested rights to serve council’s previous employees.

It requested the court to declare the ordinance for establishment of the PMC as unconstitutional and in the meanwhile allow the erstwhile PMDC employees to continue work in the newly formed commission.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1513964/dissolution-of-pmdc-through-ordinance-challenged-in-ihc.