By By Our Correspondent
THE Services Institute of Medical Sciences (Sims), Lahore, is facing a shortage of senior faculty in various departments which is badly affecting the quality of teaching and training as well as treatment of patients in the Services Hospital.
As many as six professors, eight associate professors and seven assistant professors are not available in several key departments, and the situation shows the quality of education and training being imparted on young doctors as well as the treatment given to patients in the hospital.
According to details, six seats of professors are lying vacant in departments of Biochemistry, Forensic Medicine, Pathology, Psychiatry, General Medicine and Radiology. Similarly, there is a shortage of eight associate professors, including two vacant seats in the Department of General Surgery and one seat each lying vacant in the departments of Anaesthesia, Medicine, Psychiatry, Plastic Surgery, Paeds Surgery and the ENT. Besides, seven seats of assistant professors are also lying vacant, namely four seats in Community Medicine, two in Anatomy and one in Forensic Medicine.
The Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) on Sunday lambasted the SIMS administration for the delay in filling the vacant posts of senior medical teachers in the key departments, which was causing loss of academic activities of medical students and practical training of young doctors besides badly affecting the standard of diagnostic and treatment services to patients in the Services Hospital.
“The SIMS must immediately fill the vacant posts of professors, associate professors and assistant professors in its various departments so as to ensure quality education and training to students and doctors as well as treatment to patients,” said Dr Salman Kazmi, secretary general of the YDA.