PESHAWAR: The Khyber Girls Medical College has been ranked as top medical institution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in an inspection carried out by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, beating even Khyber Medical College, considered the mother of medical education in the province, by a handsome margin.

The KGMC secured 92.4 per cent marks and remained only five points behind 98 per cent got by Aga Khan University, a private institution, which topped the list of institutions providing quality education.

The KGMC becomes the only public sector medical college with the highest ranking in the country, if the three other medical colleges that are run by the military, are taken into account.

The KMC, the oldest public sector medical college in KP, trailed behind the private sector Peshawar Medical College, which receives 89 per cent marks owing to state-of-the-art facilities for students, research and patients’ care services at three hospitals with over 500 charity beds, faculty and staff.

Secures 92.4 per cent marks in PMDC countrywide inspection

The PMDC, medical education regulator in the country, inspected all 165 colleges in August to help the schools adopt the minimum standards set by World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) to make their qualification recognised internationally.

The KGMC is the only public sector college that scored more than 90 per cent marks as all the other eight institutions, scoring above 90 in the nationwide list, are either private or military.

Overall as a national trend, private colleges have performed better than the public. In Punjab too, the top colleges are all private, with public way down the list. Similarly in Sindh, the top college is private.

“We have latest infrastructure. We have integrated curriculum, skilled lab, modular curriculum and teaching. Our position will get much better in the next inspection,” said Prof Noor Wazir, the dean of KGMC. He credits his faculty, staff and his predecessor for turning the college into what it is now.

Rehman Medical College, a private medical institution, stayed third with 85 per cent marks and Frontier Medical College fourth with 84 per cent marks in the drive.

But the most shocking and surprising evaluation of PMDC inspection report was that of KMC got 77 points. What caused the dramatic fall in its performance is not known. The dean and Board of Governors have not come up with any explanation, though those, who have worked with PMDC, said that the evaluation proforma was shared with the administration.

They said that a combination of extreme polarisation, divisiveness and complacency led to the fall from grace of that prestigious medical institution. Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, the second oldest public sector medical college after KMC, got 7th place in the first of the three scheduled inspections after which those found lacking facilities and academic standards would be informed to take corrective measures before re-inspection in January 2020, while those failing to do so would have another chance to address deficiencies for the final round slated for May 2020.

The Khyber College of Dentistry has top list by securing 88 per cent and Rehman College of Dentistry received second place as rest of eight dental colleges in the province either failed to score more than 60 per cent marks or lacked mandatory requirement.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2019