KARACHI, Dec 28 A proposal to upgrade the People`s Medical College, Nawabshah, to a medical university is presently under consideration at the top level, it has been learnt.

Sources said that a summary in this regard had been sent to the Prime Minister`s Secretariat for the formal approval of the upgradation plan and, if approved, the medical college would be named People`s International University for Women.

They said that the college authorities sought a grant of Rs4 billion for the setting up of the country`s first ever medical university for women in the public sector. However, the PM Secretariat asked the authorities concerned to submit a feasibility report with regard to the proposed project.

The college was established in 1974 by the then prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, to encourage women to acquire medical education. Since its establishment, over 3,500 women had completed their MBBS degrees from the institution. The first batch comprised of 200 female students, but now over 900 students are studying in the college. At present, some 195 doctors are studying postgraduate courses in the college in the fields of gynaecology, surgery, anaesthesia, paediatrics, pathology etc.

The PMC has departments of anatomy, physiology, clinical, pharmacology, community medicine and forensic medicine and its attached 670-bed hospital is equipped with modern medical equipment. The college has five hostels which provide accommodation to 800 students.