LAHORE, April 29: Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed has said the University of Health Sciences should focus on research and basic sciences to produce as many PhDs as possible.

While talking to newsmen at the Punjab health department’s committee room on Tuesday, he said the government wanted to open medical colleges at least at each division to produce maximum doctors.

To a question about medical colleges’ compulsory affiliation with the UHS, Dr Tahir said the decision was taken by President Gen Pervez Musharraf at a meeting held at the Governor’s House on April 21. He added that the president had exempt the King Edward Medical College and the Fatima Jinnah Medical College, allowing them to retain affiliation with the Punjab University.

He said the UHS Ordinance would be presented in the Punjab Assembly.

The health minister, while responding to another question, said the government would not tolerate any irregularity at the UHS. “Action will be taken against those found involved in committing irregularities at the university,” he added.

He said the Punjab Medical and Health Ordinance 2002 was faulty and non-implementable. “For these obvious reasons, the health department has also failed to take action against the doctors involved in flouting the ordinance,” he said.

Now, he said, the health department had amended its three major sections regarding boards of governors, principal executive officers and appointment of officers and employees.