PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to amend Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015 to make way for appointment of female dean of Khyber Girls Medical College in line with the resolution passed by the provincial assembly in June.

“We have recommended an amendment to MTIRA to make the post of dean KGMC women-specific. The amendment has been vetted by law department and sent to the government for approval,” Health Secretary Abid Majeed told Dawn.

He said that the amended law was approved by chief minister. “It is now awaiting approval of the cabinet,” he added.

Mr Majeed said that the amended law would be again sent to law department after it was approved by the cabinet after which it would be presented in the provincial assembly. “It would become a law after passage by the assembly that only woman would be appointed as dean of KGMC,” he said.

Official says amended law has been approved by chief minister

Mr Majeed said that health department proposed amendment to MTIRA after it received a letter from the Board of Governors of Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) that called for change in the law to do the needful.

Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC) is constituent institute of HMC where a male professor is serving as dean presently. Two months ago, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has asked the health department to appoint a female dean at KGMC to enable the girl students to prove their capabilities effectively.

The health department forwarded the chief minister’s directive to the BoG of HMC/KGMC for compliance, saying that it was fully cognisant of the cultural and social norms of the province and passage of an assembly’s unanimous resolution was reflective of the desire of the entire house including treasury and opposition.

Sahibzada Mohammad Saeed, the BoG chairman, told Dawn that it was not possible under the present law to appoint a woman dean of KGMC due to which they suggested an amendment to the government to make the post women-specific. He said that the present dean was appointed on merit because there was no provision for female dean of the college under the law.

“We have sent our recommendations to the health department to amend the law. We are waiting for the amendment and would do whatever the law suggests,” said Mr Saeed.

A resolution was passed by the provincial assembly on June 15, asking for the appointment of female dean of KGMC, the only medical college for girls in the province. The resolution stated that KGMC was a medical college established only for girl students in 2004 due to the cultural and conventional background of the province so that girl students could fully utilise their abilities in medical profession.

The resolution was passed unanimously to facilitate the girl students in studying without any hindrance. The MTIRA, passed by the assembly in January 2015, has accorded independent status to HMC/KGMC due to which the government couldn’t interfere in its affairs. That’s why the chief minister suggested an amendment to the law.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2017