PESHAWAR, Sept 21: The Postgraduate Paramedical Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, is left with only one regular instructor.

It was granted affiliation by the University of Peshawar for awarding BSc Honours degree a month ago.

The institute had two regular instructors, one of whom was recently transferred and no one had been appointed to replace him, sources said.

Classes for the four-year programme begun on Sept 1.

The sources said the first batch of 100 students had been enrolled in 13 disciplines.

The institute is the first of its kind in the country allowed to launch degree courses. There were some visiting faculty members, who were paid Rs100 per day, the sources said. But they were also losing interest in the institute because of delayed payment.

Sources at the college said a list of 10 doctors had been sent to the health directorate, seeking their transfer to the institute. The authorities had issued transfer orders of six doctors but they were yet to be relieved by the directorate.

The institute was also facing problems of lack of space as it was located in the basement of the hospital, the sources said. They said Rs50 million had been allocated by the government to construct a building but progress on it was slow.

The institute’s dean said its control would ultimately be handed over to the Khyber Medical University which was responsible for medical education in the province. He said coordinators had been appointed for 12 disciplines in the institute.

The problems would be discussed in a meeting soon, he said.