Medical colleges told to start classes from Jan 17

Some institutions not ready to start classes, some lack equipment as Health Dept tells them to start classes.

LAHORE: All medical and dental colleges of the province were told by the Health Department on Tuesday to commence first year classes on January 17.

The notification ignores “ground realities” in the opinion of some officials of the Health Department. Most of the colleges have yet to complete preparations for the commencement of classes. Four new medical colleges in DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal and Gujranwala do not even have their own buildings.

The Health Department had earlier issued a notification, asking medical and dental colleges (excluding the four new colleges) to start their first year classes on December 20, 2010 after the University of Health Sciences (UHS) displayed the final merit lists on November 30, 2010. However, the colleges failed to meet the deadline.

Some Health Department officials told The Express Tribune that the department had extended its December 20 deadline after the chief minister instructed that first year classes should start simultaneously in all 15 medical colleges and three dentistry institutions.

According to the officials, in a presentation to the CM the health secretary had claimed that classes could start in all colleges from the first week of January. This, too, was not to happen. The officials speculated that the January 17 deadline would also not be adhered to. They added that the department will have to issue another notification.

The department had suggested that classes should commence at the old medical and dental colleges. They found public announcement by the chief minister and the health secretary  to initiate MBBS/BDS classes in the four new colleges from this session “nonsensical”. “If they insist on waiting for the four new colleges to be ready to start classes, they will be unnecessarily holding back the students of the rest of the medical colleges,” said one official.

In 2009 the first year classes of MBBS/BDS at medical colleges in Punjab began on October 17. The first year MBBS exams are held in September.

The official added, “Even if first year classes do somehow start on January 17, it will be really difficult for the students to complete their syllabus on time. If the deadline cannot be met, then it would be impossible for the first year students to do so.”

Officials told the Tribune that three of the four new colleges lack labs, equipment, operation theatres, chairs, tables and infrastructure. One of them said, “The major problem is that other than the college in DG Khan, none have hostels for women. Not one of the new colleges has residences for faculty members or custom-built buildings.” According to the official the Health Department has yet to purchase microscopes, corpses, mortuaries, dissection tables and chemicals for the laboratories. “How can the department put everything in order by January 17?” he asked.

The Express Tribune spoke with principals of three new medical colleges and  confirmed the lack of essentials. All of them said they planned to initially hold classes at buildings of other colleges.

DG Khan Medical College will start classes at the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur. Sialkot Medical College principal, Prof Dr Tanvir Ali Khan Sherwani, said that in case the deadline wasn’t extended classes would be held in the building of Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital. “We are purchasing the equipment and the materials we require,” he said.

Sahiwal Medical College principal, Prof Dr Zameer Ahmad, said that classes would initially be held at the Paramedical School DHQ, Sahiwal. Ahmad said that the government had issued Rs50 million to every medical college for salaries and purchase of items needed for the college.

The principal said that there was a chance that the date might be extended till January 31. A four-member committee of the Health Department is purchasing the necessary items, said Ahmad. Gujranwala Medical College principal Dr Atia Mubarak said that classes would start at Home Economics College on Pasroor Raod. Mubarak also said that she had ordered furniture for the college on Monday night.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2011