KARACHI, May 26: The vice-chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences, Prof Masood Hameed, said on Thursday that the university, with an improved faculty position and related teaching and training facilities, was all set for the forthcoming visit of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council team.

Speaking at a press conference, the vice-chancellor said that a number of significant developments had been made at the Dow Medical College and other constituent units of the university during the last one year, while a couple of new teaching and research facilities would be made functional in the near future.

Prof Hameed said that after assuming as the first vice-chancellor of the university, he personally felt that there was an acute shortage of teaching staff, while on the other hand no promotion of the existing faculty members was observed during the last seven or eight years.

However, after a hectic but merit based exercise, now, in line with the basic criteria set by the PMDC, as many as 167 teachers have been appointed, with the approval of the university syndicate, for various posts, he added.

He said that he did not see any major shortcomings as far as teaching faculty was concerned, while efforts were also being made to bring the administrative and other wings up to the mark.

To a question, he said that at present he did not find it necessary to advertise the posts or hold a selection board for appointment of a regular registrar and a controller of examination of the university.

“I would like to continue with the ad hoc officials, Dr Meher F Hansotia and Rashid Ali Khan, a retired KU officer, whose appointment have been ordered by the chancellor of the DHUS for the posts of registrar and controller of examination for the periods of three years and two years respectively, under special circumstances.”, he added.

The DUHS Act, 2004, says that the registrar and controller of examination shall be whole time officer of the university and shall be appointed by the syndicate of the university on such terms and conditions as it may determine. It also provides that the first controller of examination shall be appointed by the chancellor on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor.

Coming on the development projects, Prof Hameed said that a digital library was being set up with a funding of Rs35 million from the Higher Education Commission at the university for students and researchers of the varsity, while clinical wards of the Civil Hospital would also be availing the facility.

He said that a project, Institute of Nursing for Diploma and Graduate Programmes, with a cost of Rs186 million, would be launched soon, while an Institute of Medical Technologies for training of paramedical staff, with a funding of Rs36million from the Sindh government, would also go functional at renovated hostel building in a couple of months.

The federal government has also approved a project for establishing a 100 seat medical college at the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, which would surely help meeting the demands of aspiring students of Karachi to undertake medical education in the government set up.

Prof Hameed said that under faculty improving schemes, about 30 doctors would be sent abroad in a period of four years for pursuing PhD courses in basic medical sciences. He said that the first meeting of the DUHS senate would be held on July 2, with the chancellor, Dr Ishratul Ibad in the chair.