Private Medical colleges only should be affiliated with medical universities operating in the public-sector

Governor Sindh orders universities to disaffiliate from medical colleges

Karachi: The health experts held the administration of Karachi University, responsible for not establishing a medical college within the stipulated time given by Pakistan Medical Dental Council (PMDC) in 2012.

Resultantly, PMDC administration under its rules and regulations, had decided to disaffiliate private medical colleges from KU. In this connection an important meeting was held recently, wherein the Governor of Sindh - Dr Ishrat ul Ebad has directed public sector ‘non-medical’ universities in the province to immediately disaffiliate medical colleges affiliated with them, in accordance with the decision of PMDC.

The Governor said; Public sector ‘non-medical’ universities were required to disaffiliate medical colleges affiliated with them, to safeguard the future of students of medicine studying in these institutions.

The governor issued orders to public medical and health universities in Sindh to start proper affiliation of medical colleges situated within their respective jurisdictions. He said medical colleges situated in Karachi can seek fresh affiliation either with Dow University of Health Sciences or with the Jinnah Sindh Medical University.

Vice-President, Pakistan Dental Association Central - Dr Kaifi Iqbal while talking to dental news said; PMDC had given a two year deadline to Karachi University to establish its own medical college but university administration could not start this project yet, due to known reasons.

He said PMDC has its own rules & regulations and as a state-run regulatory body, we must follows its rules. He said establishment of a medical college project in KU is still in the pipeline. Now it depends on the administrators of private colleges to affiliate their institutions with Dow University of Health Sciences or Jinnah Sindh Medical University.

Dr Kaifi said future of students could not be affected due to this decision, but they may face some issues in adopting a new examination method from semester system to annual exams.

President of PMDC - Prof Masood Hameed Khan said; In the past, Medical colleges were being linked to general universities due to shortage of medical universities in Sindh province. Now, as the medical universities have been established in the province, these colleges can easily affiliate themselves with these medical universities, he explained.

He said; Concreate steps are needed to up-grade and promote medical education in the province.

The Vice Chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University - Prof Tariq Rafi said; PMDC had taken this decision during a meeting in 2012, that private medical colleges should be linked with a university, who had its own medical college. He said now private colleges will be affiliated with government run medical universities.

He said medical universities will be responsible for conducing examination and designing curriculum for their affiliated colleges. He said similarly private colleges situated in interior Sindh would be affiliated with the nearby medical universities.

Secretary General, Pakistan Medical Association (Central), Dr Mirza Ali Azhar said; PMA will take a stand, if this decision is wrongly implemented to benefit someone or some specific institutions. He said; Karachi University will oppose any idea that creates problems for its students.

Dr Ali Azhar said; Some groups with vested interests wanted to establish a provincial PMDC and a Parallel College of Physicians & Surgeons in Sindh, along with other provincial institutions. PMA will take a stand against any such decisions that will destroy medical education in the country. Authorities concerned should remove the flaws of the existing institutions in the country, rather than establishing parallel bodies or institutions.