Future of 50 final year students of SZMC at stake

LAHORE
The future of 50 MBBS final year students of the Shaikh Zayed Medical College, Rahimyar Khan, is at stake as the institution has so far failed to fulfil the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) requirements to get the accreditation for additional 50 seats enhanced in 2010.
“Due to non-registration of 50 out of 150 seats at the SZMC-RYK with the PMDC, the future of 50 students is at stake, especially when they are going to appear in the final year examination, but they will not be able to do their house job due to non-recognition of their qualifications by the PMDC,” say affected students ahead of their MBBS final year examination while talking to The News on Wednesday.
The SZMC-RYK, which is recognised for 100 seats, couldn’t fulfil PMDC’s requirements due to deficiency of faculty and other facilities in different departments for additional 50 seats, which has caused a serious concern among students and their parents as, according to them, this was the responsibility of institution and the Punjab government/Health Department to fill the vacant seats of faculty and provide lacking facilities at the SZMC/H RYK as recommended by the PMDC.
The Shaikh Zayed Medical College was started in 2002 with 100 seats on self-finance basis at the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC), Bahwalpur, due to deficiency of infrastructure for a medical college in Rahimyar Khan. In 2005, the classes were shifted to Rahimyar Khan under the then Principal Prof Dr Eice Muhammad and college was accredited with the PMDC for 100 seats. However, later in 2010, the Punjab government enhanced seats from 100 to 150 at the SZMC-RYK without the PMDC accreditation of 50 enhanced seats. In 2014, the team of the PMDC visited and inspected the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Rahimyar Khan for full accreditation of 150 seats of the MBBS, but the PMDC’s inspection team pointed out 26 objections over deficiencies of faculty and different facilities of various departments of medical college and hospital.
After the dissolution of the PMDC this year, the interim body of the PMDC announced the visit and inspection of the Shaikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital Rahimyar Khan on 13th of October 2015, but at the nick of time cancelled the visit and inspection. “It has caused serious concern among affected students as recognition of their qualification is not possible without overcoming deficiencies at the college and subsequent accreditation of 50 seats by the PMDC,” said the affected students. The PMDC’s inspection team’s visit is pending.
Talking to The News, PMDC Registrar Brig (retd) Dr Hafeezuddin Siddiqui said the PMDC had planned another inspection of the SZMC-RYK faculty and facilities’ requirements in the second week of November.
“It is the responsibility of the college administration to fulfil the requirements of faculty and other facilities and the PMDC has given sufficient time to the institution to complete requirements,” he said adding the PMDC would grant accreditation for 50 seats provided the inspection team found no more deficiencies as per criteria.
SZMC-RYK Principal Prof Dr Ghulam Mustafa Arain said that the administration had completed its requirements of faculty and other facilities as per PMDC’s criteria to get accreditation for additional 50 seats at the college.
“I am confident that the college will get PMDC’s registration for additional 50 seats during the PMDC’s upcoming inspection visit scheduled for November 12, 2015,” he claimed adding that the future of students will not be jeopardizsed. The students will appear in their final year examination as per schedule.
Previously, he said the PMDC’s scheduled inspection visit of October 13 was postponed due to recent dissolution of the council and later setting up of an interim council to run the affairs of the PMDC.