SUKKUR: The vice chancellor of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, has pushed the Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College (GMMMC), Sukkur, to the verge of closure by transferring 43 members of its teaching faculty to other areas, alleges assistant registrar of the college.

Dr Altaf Mirani, the assistant registrar, said at a press conference that the VC of SMBBMU Dr Asghar Channa, was involved in the conspiracy to close down the college through different tactics, jeopardising the future of about 500 students and jobs of 250 employees. He said the VC had transferred the 43 teaching doctors to Khairpur, Shikarpur and Larkana and was putting pressure on the college principal to transfer 15 more faculty members to Shikarpur hospital but they were not ready to go.

He said that there were many doctors of Shikarpur studying in the Chandka Medical College, Larkana, who could be posted in Shikarpur. The acute shortage of teachers would have an adverse impact on students’ studies and health service to patients at the GMMMC hospital, he said.

He accused the VC of misusing his powers and said he had handed over the college administration to non-technical officers who had aggravated the crisis. He said that despite the fact the college had a budget of Rs210 million, its utility bills remained unpaid and connections of electricity and gas might be disconnected anytime. He demanded that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and former president Asif Ali Zardari immediately remove the VC to save the GMMMC from closure.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2014