ISLAMABAD: Documents claiming that a team from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will inspect Wah Medical College today (Thursday) have been circulating in health circles and could compromise the quality of the inspection.

The leaked documents have also revealed the inspectors’ names, allowing them to be contacted to change the inspection’s findings.

The PMDC carries out both informed and surprise inspections, but the list of inspectors is always confidential so that colleges cannot approach members of the inspection teams.

A PMDC official who asked not to be named said private colleges already claim to have individuals within the council who can safeguard their interests, inform them in time for inspections and support them in other matters.

“For a fair and transparent inspection process it’s mandatory to access these colleges in a secret way so that the factual position and working of the college regarding training, faculty positions, patient turnover and available services and equipment at the college may be verified,” he said.

He added that there had been incidents in the past where the PMDC management had found that private colleges rented machinery and placed additional beds to pass the inspection.

“Sometimes it was observed that colleges had directed their staff to pose as patients. After that, it was decided that surprise inspections should be held and a number of times inspections were postponed at the last minute just to ensure that private colleges would not arrange extra equipment,” he said.

“Wah Medical College is well reputed and I don’t have any doubt about the facilities available there, but the leaking of the document – especially the list of inspectors – shows that there will be serious problems in future,” he added.

According to the documents, which are available with Dawn, a team of inspectors will visit the college in Feb 15. Seven single rooms have been booked for the inspectors at a hotel in Islamabad, and they will leave on Feb 16.

The official suggested that the head of the ad hoc committee looking after the council’s affairs, retired Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, look into such issues because leaks such as this would affect his reputation.

The PMDC was dissolved on Jan 12 by the Supreme Court and a nine-member ad hoc committee was formed to run its affairs.

“It is possible that the date of inspection would be revealed but leaking the names of the inspectors is a very sensitive issue because most of the time inspectors are not told about other inspectors and they are just informed that they have to inspect the college,” the official added.

“If the names of inspectors are made public, colleges can approach them before inspections. The council should be very careful while holding the next inspections of private colleges,” he said.

A PMDC spokesperson however said the Wah Medical College inspection was a routine one, and not a surprise inspection.

“According to the rules, the college is informed of the routine inspection schedule three days prior. Inspectors are also informed of the schedule accordingly. All inspections are carried out according to rules and regulations,” she said.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2018