December 22, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 23, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 21: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged the government to end the admission quota for the children of judges, armed forces officers, and other officials in medical colleges of the country.

The general secretary of the PMA, Karachi chapter, Dr Samrina Hashmi, said this while addressing a news conference after the concluding session of the 28th medical conference organised by the PMA here on Saturday.

Dr Hashmi demanded admission to all medical colleges only on merit basis. She also urged the government departments concerned to formulate a health policy in consultation with the PMA.

She said admissions to all medical colleges should be held on a fixed date instead of different dates and months.

She stressed the need for an equal standard of education at private and government medical colleges.

Salaries of doctors should be raised in order to stop them from moving abroad, she observed.

She also called for improvement in training courses of paramedical staff, saying that the courses should be based on modern scientific principles.

Over 150 research theses were presented at the conference.

A large number of doctors from all over the country and from the US, Australia, South Africa and Middle East countries attended the conference.

Dr Mohammad Sarwar Chaudhry, Dr Habibur Rahman Soomro, Dr Qaisar Sajjad, Dr Aziz Khan Tank and others were also present.—PPI