RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday restrained all the unregistered medical colleges in the country from conducting admission process.

The Chief Justice while hearing suo motu proceedings regarding excessive fee structure of private medical and dental colleges issued notice to the Pakistan Association of Private Medical & Dental Institutions (PAMI) and also summoned president of Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) on Wednesday (today).

Restraining all unrecognized private medical colleges from carrying out admission, the CJ observed, “If any admission is made by these colleges, their chief executives or administrate body shall personally be held responsible for violating the court order”.

He said an inquiry shall be conducted if any attempt was made to mention the admission even in back dates.

The CJ also directed the LHC Registrar to submit details of all cases pending before the court relating to the PMDC and medical colleges. Advocate General of Punjab Shakilur Rehman Khan, PMDC Registrar Waseem Hassan Hashmi, Lahore High Court Registrar Khurshid Anwar Rizvi and Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon were present on the court’s call.

During the hearing, the CJP expressing concern over deteriorating standard of medical profession and health facilities put a number of questions on AGP about the government’s efforts to improve the health sector.

He asked the AGP to name any public hospital established in the province for the growing patients of cancer. CJ Nisar regretted that he was unable to remember any big health facility had been established in Punjab during the last five years except Services Hospital of Lahore, which was constructed in 1954.

He also summoned CEOs of all 14 private medical & dental colleges in Lahore with direction to submit their affidavits about meeting the criteria laid down by the PMDC.

The CJP also ordered the colleges to furnish details of their bank accounts and amount of fee they charged for present session from the students. The colleges were also directed to submit their prospectus, number seats available and how many of them had been filled on merit and quota basis and the charges collected from the students besides fee fixed by the PMDC.

The CJP vowed to decide the case within two or three months by holding day-to-day hearings.