LAHORE: Some 112 doctors will get training at the Children’s Hospital of Lahore in the ongoing third phase of the Central Induction Policy (CIP) for postgraduate training at teaching institutions across the province.

Recently, some 683 beds had been added to the Children’s Hospital after its expansion, increasing its bed-strength to 1,100 from the previous 450. This has created more opportunities for the training of doctors in postgraduate courses. The Central Postgraduate Placement Board took a decision to the effect at a meeting on Sunday.

Presided over by Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah, the meeting was participated in by University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Junaid Sarfraz Khan, King Edwards Medical University’s Prof Asad Aslam Khan, Fatima Jinnah Medical University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Amir Zaman, KEMU’s retired professor Dr Syed Muhammad Awais, Prof Abrar Ashraf, Health Department’s Additional Secretary Dr Salman Shahid and Punjab Information Technology Board Director Badar Munir.

The meeting also decided that in the next phase of the Postgraduate Residents Training Programme, another 112 doctors would be inducted at the Children’s Hospital.

The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department had last year introduced a central induction policy for postgraduate training of doctors at teaching institutions across the province to end chances of monopoly and blackmailing by medics to accommodate blue-eyed candidates.

In order to make induction of postgraduate trainee doctors in FCPS Part-I through “a merit determination formula” instead of interviews , the department established a Central Postgraduate Placement Board to initiate the process of inductions.

The official said the new policy was introduced after a series of meetings among vice chancellors of medical universities and principals of colleges besides other stakeholders, including representatives of medical associations, especially the Young Doctors Association (YDA), Punjab.

However, the YDA leadership rejected the CIP by raising some controversial points at the last moment when the health department received warm welcome from doctors during its ‘soft launch.’ The YDA also disowned its four main leaders, including founding president Dr Hamid Butt, who had attended meetings during which the policy was discussed and finalised.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2017