May 20, 2002	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1423

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LAHORE, May 19: The College of Physician and Surgeons Pakistan president, Prof Khalid Farooqui, said on Sunday standard of medical education in Pakistan was deteriorating. He said the syllabus was 50 years old and should be upgraded.

Talking to newsmen at the conclusion of the two-day workshop on Reproductive Health at a local hotel, Prof Farooqui said the syllabus taught in the country’s medical colleges did not match the standards in advanced countries. In those countries, he sad, the curriculum reflected modern day requirements but nobody in Pakistan seemed to be interested in change.

He claimed that Pakistani doctors did not have the skills required to work abroad. He said there should be some law requiring that doctors refresh their knowledge.

Mr Farooqui said the CPS will hold a conference in Karachi on these issues in September.

Pointing out shortage of teachers in medical colleges, he said 18 dental colleges were established in the public and the private sectors in the last five years. But these had only 11 teachers compared to a requirement of 450.

Earlier, Prof Farooqui said the CPS had produced 9,000 of the 14,000 specialists in the country. He said the College had an agreement with the Saudi government for bilateral examiners.