RAHIM YAR KHAN, Sept 5: Work on many development projects is going on in Rahim Yar Khan, including Sheikh Zayed International Airport, Sheikh Zayed Medical Complex and Sheikh Zayed Public School and College.
The Sheikh Zayed Medical College (SZMC) is another important project which will prove a milestone for the promotion of education in the district. The SZMC will comprise two phases. The Punjab chief minister has already allocated Rs13.5 million for the first phase.
Principal Dr Eice Muhammad said that anatomy, physiology and bio-chemistry departments had been completed while three associate professors of bio-chemistry, pharmacology and pathology departments had joined the medical college.
Dr Eice said the supply of instruments and chemicals needed for the three departments had been initiated. Similarly, the furniture for these departments had also started reaching the SZMC so that all arrangements could be completed before the arrival of a new batch of students.
He said the process of recruitment of the remaining teaching staff for the departments of anatomy, physiology, bio-chemistry, pathology, pharmacology and forensic medicine was going on which would be completed by the end of this month.
He said that a large number of applications for the post of professors, associate professors, assistant professors had been received. The SZMC, he said, had offered a lucrative package of Rs65,000 to Rs80,000 for professors, Rs50,000 to Rs65,000 for associate professors, Rs35,000 to Rs50,000 for assistant professors and Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 for demonstrators.
In addition, the board of management of the SZMC and the SZH had made a tentative plan of establishing the nuclear medicine centre and department of radiotherapy under the aegis of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). For this purpose, correspondence had already been initiated with the PAEC which had given a positive response.
Meanwhile, the PAEC had asked the Bahawalpur Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (BINO) director to visit SZH once a month to examine the patients suffering from cancer and other diseases.
About the second phase, Dr Eice Muhammad said that over 7,500 acres of land would be needed for the construction of administrative departments, 17 wards, seven basic science departments, residential colony for 2,000 employees, hostels for boys and girls, playgrounds and a gymnasium for extra-curricular activities.
The principal said the district government had agreed to provide the land for the second phase in Mud Gaman area near Chak 82-P, some 10kms away from the city. The district government also planned to build a park there for the people and a housing colony for government employees.
He said the old DHQ Hospital block of SZH built on an area of 11 acres of land some 50 years back had no teaching facility. He said the Buildings department had advised its demolition, adding that the new construction of the second phase would be completed in its place.
Dr Eice said the government had sanctioned hiring of consultants for the construction of the second phase and, for this purpose, it had allocated Rs8 million. Consultants would prepare the PC-1 form, soil testing, architectural details and finalize the layout of the whole project.
After this, he said the estimated cost of the second phase was likely to exceed Rs1 billion and the PC-1 would be presented to the Health and Planning and Development departments for approval of the project. The duration of the project is about three years.
The college administration, he said, had asked the Punjab and the district governments to provide the Mehmood Stadium land as well for the medical college. He, however, said that the acquisition of the land for the SZMC was still a main problem. He urged the politicians and the media men to play their due role for the early completion of the SZMC project.