Post-grad education: CPSP to convene meeting on Health Dept letters

They will decide their response to the letters sent by the Health Department.


Ali Usman February 13, 2014
They will decide their response to the letters sent by the Health Department. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:


The tussle between the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) and the Health Department over two letters written by the department will be discussed at an “emergency meeting” called by the CPSP on February 14 in Islamabad.


A senior CPSP official told The Express Tribune that CPSP’s regional heads will attend the meeting to decide a strategy to deal with the situation that has developed in the wake of the letters. The CPSP has asked the Health Department to withdraw them.

In one of the letters, the department had asked the CPSP to rationalise the quantum of passing candidates. In the second, it had said it would not spare its employees for supervisory, examination or other duties assigned by the CPSP, without prior permission from the government. The department said the CPSP must inform the government or the head of the relevant medical institution at least four weeks before a professor/associate professor/assistant professor was to perform such a duty.

The CPSP replied to the letters, saying, “The executive committee expects you to withdraw both letters as the actions threatened will force us to reconsider our policy of accreditation of institutions, appointment of supervisors and training of postgraduates...which would affect the educational standards and health care at public sector institutions in the Punjab.”

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The CPSP official said, “This is a serious matter...the other hand, the government in the Punjab is dictating its terms to a national institute formed by...the parliament.”

He said the requests made by the Health Department had serious repercussions. “We cannot fail or pass students according to the availability of seats...it is solely based on their performance.” He said exam supervisors were informed of their duties a few days in advance. “If such requests are made four weeks earlier, students may try to approach the examiners.”

“The council meeting will take important decisions on how to respond,” he said.

Health Secretary Babar Hayat Tarar said the CPSP could not order the Health Department to withdraw the letters. He said the Health Department had taken up the matter and firmly stood by its positions.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2014.

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