PMDC to start inspection of three colleges today

Colleges are run by council members who say inspections were timed to keep them away from council meeting

ISLAMABAD: The top medical body of the country has decided to conduct an inspection of medical colleges — including those in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi — on the basis of a new proforma from Monday, July 1 (today). The facilities to undergo inspection are run by council members

According to notices issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), inspections will be conducted by faculty members who have been nominated by the council to check whether the “institution has sufficient facilities to fulfil requirements as per PMDC Evaluation Criteria, 2019”.

The current council, set up under an ordinance set to expire on September 5, has been given an extension for four months. Interestingly, some people included on the inspection team have no relevant experience. Moreover, colleges will be given only three months to address any deficiencies found during the inspection.

Well-placed sources in the PMDC say that some members of the incumbent were also being targeted by the inspection team.

Council member Professor Shabir Ahmed Lehri said that he will be unable to attend the council’s next meeting on Monday because his college, the Bolan Medical College in Quetta, will be undergoing inspection on July 1.

There was some suggestion that the inspection of BMC was set for July 1 deliberately owing to some personal enmity between council members.

Similarly, an inspection for the HBS Medical and Dental College in Islamabad — run by Prof Shoaib Shah is set for July 4 while Prof Salman Jafar’s Shifa Medical Colleges will be inspected on July 3. Both professors also are members of the council.

According to sources, during the hearing of a case before the Lahore High Court (LHC), Justice Shams Mehmood had remarked that colleges should not be penalized and rated on the basis of an inspection conducted as per proforma 2019.

The judge had further instructed to extend the deadline for colleges to improve until May 2020.

He had questioned why PMDC was willing to carry out inspection according to proforma 2019, adding that the council has issued inspection letters without waiting for the court’s orders in this regard. In light of the court's directions, sources suggested that heated arguments are expected during the July 1 meeting of the council.

Meanwhile, the posts of registrar and finance director are still vacant in PMDC even though the National Task Force on health director Dr Nausherwan Burki, had completed interviews without even involving the council’s human resource (HR) department.  Moreover, Dr Burki has advised the council to let go around 250 employees and recruit new ones. The council is said to be considering the recommendation very seriously.

Nepotism

Allegations of nepotism in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) are rife after an honorary degree was awarded despite a ban.

PMDC President Justice Shakirullah Jan had banned the award of honorary degrees during a meeting, adding that the council had no authority to register any such degree.

However, officials disclosed that the council did not mention the word “honorary” in the registration certificate for Dr Amir Bilal.

The awardee, Dr Bilal had completed his Fellowship from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) General Surgery from Edinburgh in 1992.

Well-placed sources in PMDC told The Express Tribune that Dr Bilal was recompensed for the role he played as a representative of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) as vice-president in the PMDC elections.

Well-placed sources revealed that the council employees were displeased with the establishment of a new council and were unsatisfied over the decisions are taken by the council to promote nepotism.

Further, the LHC had recently stated that issuing an honorary degree to Dr Bilal was a breach of council’s rules and policy.