LAHORE, Aug 4: The Punjab University’s plan to establish a medical college and an allied teaching hospital on the New Campus premises by next year has been delayed for an indefinite period.

Sources told Dawn on Friday that the varsity had planned to kick off construction of its first constituent medical college and a teaching hospital this year on a BOT (built operate transfer) basis and sought proposals from some local and foreign firms in this regard.

It had also planned to seek financial assistance from the provincial and federal governments, besides some support from the Higher Education Commission in terms of research.

However, the administration had delayed the project considering development of its sub-campus in Gujranwala and new departments more important for the time being, the sources said, and added that it also had conveyed this to the firms and stopped them from working on the feasibility in this respect.

PU registrar Prof Naeem Khan told this reporter that the administration could not initiate the project this year owing to its other commitments. He said the varsity might launch the project in collaboration with the HEC in the coming years. The university had, however, not shelved the project, he said in response to a question.

After losing the powers of holding examinations of four medical colleges in the province, the PU had decided to establish its first constituent medical college in Lahore.

The Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad; the Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore; and the Rawalpindi Medical College had been affiliated with the University of Health Sciences at the time of its inception while the King Edward Medical College remained no more dependent on it after acquiring a university status.

An official said the PU would seek private partnership especially in the development of the teaching hospital. He said the proposed medical college and the hospital would be different in outlook as well as in rendering education and medical facilities.

Initially, the college would launch the MBBS programme and later introduce courses in specialised areas and research projects.