MUZAFFARABAD: The governing body overseeing three public-sector medical colleges in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday took several significant decisions to enhance the performance of these institutions.

The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, endorsed the establishment of two additional nursing and midwifery colleges, which will operate under the umbrella of the AJK Medical College (AJKMC) in Muzaffarabad and Poonch Medical College (PMC) in Rawalakot.

This step was taken in line with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) requirement for medical colleges to establish allied nursing and midwifery colleges within a specified timeframe after their creation.

The three medical colleges were launched in Azad Kashmir between 2011 and 2013.

The governing body also approved the affiliation of the existing State Nursing College in Mirpur with the Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed (MBBS) Medical College in the lakeside city.

In another key decision, the body sanctioned the affiliation of the 100-bed District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Hattian Bala and the 250-bed DHQ Hospital in Bagh with the AJKMC Muzaffarabad and PMC Rawalakot, respectively, as teaching facilities.

With the affiliation of the DHQ Hospital in Bagh, PMC Rawalakot would fulfill the PMDC’s requirement of having at least 500 beds across its teaching hospitals.

The AJKMC already met the criteria, with two teaching hospitals in Muzaffarabad offering a combined capacity of 650 beds, and the addition of DHQ Hospital Hattian, with its state-of-the-art building, was expected to improve its services under the college’s faculty.

Furthermore, the governing body approved the allocation of land in Muzaffarabad for a regional centre of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP). Approval was also granted for the appointment of essential faculty for the medical colleges.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Haq assured attendees that issues related to faculty and other administrative matters in the public-sector medical colleges would be addressed on a priority basis.

He stressed that there should be no compromise on educational standards, expressing hope that graduates from these institutions would contribute significantly to the welfare of the state’s population.

The premier also underlined the importance of maintaining transparency in the admission process to ensure that deserving boys and girls secure seats purely on merit.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Nisar Ansar Abdali, Communications and Works Minister Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq, Chief Secretary Khushhal Khan, Secretary Health Brig Mohammad Fareed, and the principals of AJKMC, PMC and MBBS Medical College — Prof Dr Adnan Mehraj, Prof Dr Mumtaz Ahmed, and Prof Dr Faisal Bashir, respectively.

Secretary Finance Islam Zeb Khan and University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Ahsan Waheed Rathore participated via video link.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025