RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has formally accorded accreditation to the postgraduate training programmes of the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH), Rahim Yar Khan.

“This reaffirms the institution’s longstanding reputation for excellence in medical education, clinical service delivery and research productivity,” says a press release of hospital’s media focal person Prof Dr Ali Burhan Mustafa.

This recognition has been granted under Section 25 of the PMDC Act, 2022, following a comprehensive inspection conducted in July 2025. It authorises the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) to induct postgraduate trainees in the following disciplines.

For FCPS, accreditation has been conferred upon 23 departments, enabling the annual induction of 69 postgraduate trainees into four to five years FCPS training tracks.

For MCPS, 11 departments have been recognised for the two-year programme, permitting 29 annual trainee positions.

Moreover, the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, has received PMDC approval for its MD, MS, and diploma programmes, with 18 departments designated as accredited training units, collectively allowing the induction of 52 trainees per year.

SZMCH principal Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Laghari hailed it as a “landmark accreditation, a clear testament to the institution’s robust academic infrastructure and its adherence to both national and international standards of postgraduate medical training.”

He said the approval of 150 annual training seats reflects the exceptional performance, institutional discipline, and educational excellence of all departments within the SZMCH.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2025