PESHAWAR, July 14: The NWFP Board of Technical Education will conduct examinations for two private sector hospitals which have been extended affiliation in an apparent violation of the Medical Degree Act.

Under the act, only the NWFP Medical Faculty, Peshawar, has the authority to conduct examinations for various disciplines of paramedics. However, the technical education board has assumed the duty to conduct the examinations.

Sources said the technical board could only hold the examination of the students of technical and vocational institutes. This was also confirmed by a senior officer of the board.

These two hospitals, the sources said, had approached the board after it was denied affiliation with the NWFP medical faculty, which has so far issued about 30,000 diplomas and certificates to paramedics since its establishment over 25 years ago.

The faculty had refused to extend affiliation to both the hospitals on the pretext that they did not qualify the criteria and standards prescribed under the relevant rules of the Medical Degree Act.

Instead of fulfilling the requirements, both the institutions opted to approach the board and got the affiliation.

Abdus Salam, secretary of the board, told Dawn that the affiliation to these hospitals had drawn severe criticism and the matter would be discussed at the meeting of the board academic committee.

According to him, they would try to get these hospitals affiliated with the faculty of science, University of Peshawar, because the medical faculty was understaffed.