KARACHI, Nov 24: President Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Prof M. Hayat Zafar has expressed serious concern over the rampant violation of PMDC criteria for establishment of medical and dental colleges in both private and public sectors.

In a letter sent to the federal health secretary, the PMDC president drew his attention towards recent announcements made by the provincial governments about admissions in new medical colleges on self-finance basis.

While appreciating this as a positive approach to generate funds aimed to improve healthcare system, Prof Zafar reiterated that all these institutions were required to follow PMDC rules and regulations for MBBS training programme in the country.

However, he regretted that by-passing the PMDC, many of the government medical colleges being opened in different parts of the country were affiliated with public sector varsities.

According to the PMDC president, the degrees awarded even by the prestigious universities without adequate provision for prerequisite facilities like a strong and well-qualified teaching faculty could affect the international status of these degrees.

Prof Zafar mentioned that the PMDC did issue warning letters whenever new institutions advertise for admissions without having the NOC. However, he regretted that yet students were being registered at these colleges in the absence of proper procedure.

In this regard, he particularly referred to Sukkur Medical College, Saidu Medical College, Swat; Gomal Medical College, D.I. Khan; Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore; and Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahimyar Khan.

He said that these institutions, despite not being recognized by the PMDC, had been offering admissions to students for MBBS programmes. He said that the PMDC had pointed out a number of deficiencies in context of faculty, space, building in such colleges, including Medical College of Dera Ismail Khan and Saidu Medical College of Swat, however, the same had not been rectified till date.

It will be pertinent to mention here that while the PMDC may have adopted a strict approach with regard to its rules and regulations, yet it was only a few years back that many of the medical colleges were offered NOCs by the PMDC itself without taking due stock of facilities available in the same consequently causing heavy loss of money.—APP