PESHAWAR, Nov 5: The provincial assembly will debate a legislation during its current session that will give university status to the Khyber Medical College.

According to the University of Medical and Health Sciences Bill presented by the health minister in the house on Wednesday, KMC’s upgradation is aimed at achieving excellence in the field of medical and health services through standardisation and uniformity of education, training, evaluation and research.

If the bill is passed in its present shape, it will be tabled again in the next session to incorporate amendments in line with the Federal Universities Ordinance, 2002.

The amendments will enable the Khyber university to receive Rs3 billion annual in grants from the Higher Education Commission and the federal ministry of science and technology.

Officials said the government was determined to commission the Khyber University of Medical and Health Sciences in near future. Since 1989, two prime ministers and President Pervez Musharraf have announced that KMC would be upgraded.

The Higher Education Commission, after carrying out inspection of the institution, has already issued the no-objection certificate to the upgradation proposal.

Punjab and Sindh have already got one medical university each in accordance with the National Education Policy (1998-2010) which has also recommended a medical university for NWFP.

But, according to officials, the NWFP has yet to have a medical university as provincial bureaucrats do not want the KMC to be upgraded fearing they will lose control not only over the institution but also over teaching hospitals of the province.

Despite bureaucratic hurdles, the cabinet in 2004 approved a piece of land measuring 100 kanals for the Khyber University of Medical and Health Sciences.

Officials said the establishment of a medical university in the province would not only help improve the standard of medical education and healthcare services, but would also ensure better salaries for teachers.

At present, the KMC has got the services of 221 faculty members and 494 administrative and support staff.

The KMC after becoming a university will also benefit students of Gomal Medical College, Dera Ismail Khan; Saidu Medical College, Swat; Bannu Medical College; Khyber College of Dentistry, Peshawar; Postgraduate Medical Institute, Peshawar; and Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad.