PESHAWAR, Nov 17: A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Peshawar Medical College and the health department under which the former will extend treatment and diagnostic facilities to people at its teaching hospital at charges less than of government-run hospitals.

This was announced at a meeting presided over by NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan here on Thursday.

The meeting was convened to discuss the possibility of cooperation between the PMC and the health department. Health secretary Abdus Samad Khan, PMC Principal Prof Dr Najibul Haq and Executive Director Dr Iftikhar were among those who attended the meeting.

The health minister remarked that it was a unique occasion that a private-sector organization was opening its health facilities to the public without demanding any financial incentive from the government.

“Offering the 400-bed facility to the public is a noble deed which deserves to be appreciated widely,” he said.

The minister assured full support to the PMC authorities and said that the government was not only promoting the private sector but also encouraging public-private partnership in the health sector.

Dr Najibul Haq said that his college would offer ordinary consultation facility at a nominal fee of Rs10 in its three teaching hospitals — Mercy Hospital, Kuwait Hospital and Al-Khidmat Hospital — while senior professors could be consulted there at a fee of Rs50.

He said the sole aim of cooperation with the government was to promote better educational and professional atmosphere.

Talking about the vision behind the establishment of PMC, Dr Najib said that production of professionally competent and ethically sound medical experts was the main objective.

“Research will be a dominant component of the curriculum and each student will be bound to produce 5 research papers for successful completion of the course,” he said.

The PMC principal said that teaching faculty of the college comprised renowned medical experts.

“The institution will provide the services of its faculty members free of charge to the government-run medical colleges while teaching staff of these medical colleges visiting PMC will be properly paid,” he added.

He said that the PMC would cooperate with the government in conducting research on different topics and for imparting training to specialist doctors.