ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has recommended the closure of two medical colleges to the Ministry of National Health Services as part of its campaign against substandard medical colleges in the country.

In addition, the seats of a third medical college have been halved.

The council has recommended the closure of the Abbottabad International Medical College and Jinnah Medical College in Peshawar for a lack of facilities.

PMDC President Dr Shabbir Lehri told the press on Friday that the council had unanimously decided to recommend the immediate closure of both colleges after considering inspectors’ recommendations. The federal government has been told to de-notify the colleges and a scheme to adjust their students will be decided within a week by a committee constituted by the council.

Allocation of seats for third college halved, scheme to adjust colleges’ students to be decided within a week

Dr Lehri said the reports of the colleges’ surprise inspections were placed before the council.

“The inspection committee found gross deficiencies in the Abottabad International Medical College, such as the affiliated teaching hospital was 48.6 kilometres from the medical college. [It] takes an hour to reach the affiliated hospital from the college; this was a major violation, as students cannot frequently visit the hospital and college,” he said.

“The deficiencies were communicated to the college for rectification as pointed out by the inspection team, including the hospital. The executive committee granted six months to the college to rectify the deficiencies, as per the college authorities’ request, but the college failed to rectify the deficiencies.”

He said that the Jinnah Medical College, meanwhile, does not meet the council’s minimum criteria.

“If the council is not satisfied with the explanation, it shall make recommendations to the federal government for the closure of the institution, which shall include a scheme for the adjustment of students in other recognised institutions of the corresponding public or private sector,” Dr Lehri said.

He added that the council has also reduced the seat allocation of Pak International Medical College in Peshawar, after considering recommendations from inspection reports.

The council decided to reduce the number of seats from 100 to 50 MBBS seats for the 2017-18 session. The college will be inspected again after three months to see if its deficiencies have been met, he said.

Council member Dr Amer Bandesha told Dawn that according to the 1962 act of parliament, the president is authorised to constitute teams for surprise visits to colleges.

“Teams consist of renowned faculty members of different colleges and observe the infrastructure and facilities for students, as well as other factors that are required for quality education, and submit reports to the council,” he said.

Dr Bandesha said that Jinnah Medical College was permitted an intake of 50 students seven years ago, and the council had been receiving a number of complaints from students.

“During the inspection it was observed that, not only was the college functioning in a house, but its affiliated hospital was also located almost 38km away. Despite the passage of seven years, the college does not own its own hospital. During the last visit, the college administration demanded just four months to remove the deficiencies but they could not be removed,” he said.

In the case of the Abbottabad college, Dr Bandesha said that while the college is in Abbottabad, its hospital is in Haripur.

“The college was established in 2002, and during its inspection in 2013 the college administration did not allow the team to enter the college. An inspection was finally held in 2016, and the college demanded six months to rectify the flaws.

“During a recent inspection, the college management locked the college, claiming there was an electric fault. So it has been decided to close the college on the basis of the 2016 inspection, as it has not intimated that the deficiencies have been removed,” he said.

The Pak-International Medical College had deficiencies in its library and hospital, and lacked a purpose-built auditorium, which is why it was decided to halve its intake of students.

He added that students from the two colleges whose closure has been suggested will be distributed in other functional colleges “according to their domiciles, and not more than five students will be admitted to each course”. “Moreover, it will be ensured that the students are distributed in well-reputed colleges.”

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2017