PESHAWAR, Nov 18: The Khyber Medical College (KMC) is yet to relieve teachers of the Basic Medical Sciences Department despite their selection for the Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC) some two months ago, sources say.

Five professors, three associate professors and four assistant professors have been selected for the KGMC, but the Khyber Medical University (KMU) administration is reluctant to relieve them on the grounds that the Khyber Medical College is short of medical teachers and four of its professors have been on leave for two years.

“Relieving 12 more teachers would affect teaching in the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, forensic medicines and toxicology, pathology, community medicines and pharmacology departments,” a KMU official said, adding that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council could de-recognise the college for lack of staff.

Teachers said they had been selected through proper channel and the secretary health had notified their appointments at the KGMC. They said they had been relieved by the KMC’s principal a month ago, but the university administration had asked them not to join their new jobs.

The provincial government has recently announced monthly allowances of Rs50,000, Rs40,000, Rs30,000 and Rs10,000 for professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers, respectively, of basic medical sciences.

“It is our right to switch over to other medical colleges for monetary benefits,” a teacher said.

A source in the KMC, the oldest medical college of the province, said that only those teachers who had been serving at provincial government institutes were entitled to the allowance. The KMC is a constituent of the Khyber Medical University and falls under the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Therefore, its teachers are not entitled to the allowance.

On the other hand, those with postgraduate qualification other than PhDs in the government services stand entitled to promotions.

The teachers said the KMC being constituent of the KMU would follow HEC’s rules of promotion of teachers which required them to get PhD degrees, adding that while remaining in the KMC they would be deprived of promotions and other monetary benefits offered by the provincial government colleges.