Medical college returns Rs300m collected from students as donation

LAHORE: The management of the Red Crescent Medical and Dental College has returned around Rs300 million it had received in the form of ‘donations’ from over 260 students, The News has learnt.

Sources, privy to the development, told this scribe that soon after the surprise visit to the college by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar along with other judges a couple of weeks back, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Lahore had launched a probe into the issue after registering an inquiry over the allegations of overcharging in the name of donations by the college management. According to sources, the college management had admitted before the FIA investigators that other than fee, amounting to Rs0.85 million, the college received a million or so rupees from every student at the time of their admissions in the name of ‘donations’. The management had assured the FIA that it will return the amount collected in the name of donations.

“The college management has returned around Rs300 million to over 260 students currently enrolled with the college,” an FIA official said, adding some students got back the amount more than Rs1.5 million. Another official told that it has been established that amount collected by the college in the shape of fee and donations, etc, was transferred to Red Crescent Society.

The Society has returned the amount collected in the name of donations to the college and the same was returned back to students through cheques. The FIA has forwarded its report regarding the subject college to registrar of the Supreme Court. The SC bench led by the chief justice would resume hearing of the case today (Saturday) at the Lahore Registry.

The FIA’s report also highlighted that the college not only lacks in medical facilities as required by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) but also lacks in faculty. In the report, the FIA has also pointed out that there is no specific merit criteria for admission to the medical college and it should not only be revisited and made more stringent.

The FIA had also recorded statements of Red Crescent Medical College Principal Abid Hussain, Secretary Red Crescent Society Ch Abdul Majid, Member BOT Muhammad Nawaz, Manager Finance Shahid Iqbal and Member Managing Committee Liaqat Ali Chishti.