Medical students protest against UHS

PGMI students stage demo against UHS
Lahore, Aug 24: Medical students of the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI), Lahore, from all the four provinces and Nepal held a protest demonstration in front of the Punjab Assembly on Monday against the University of Health Sciences (UHS) for 'terminating' the Masters of Surgery (MS), Doctor of Medicine (MD), Masters of Dental Surgery (MDS) programmes.

The students were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands. They were chanting slogans against the UHS administration for terminating the medical and dental courses.

Addressing the protesting students, Students Action Commission President Dr Imran Bajwa lambasted the UHS authorities for anti-medical education policies in order to gradually finish medical education in the country. "The UHS decision to terminate MS, MD and MDS programmes is an attempt to encourage brain-drain from the country," he alleged.

The students urged Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of this anomaly and give exemplary punishment to the authorities of UHS for 'terminating' the medical and dental courses, which were being taught for over a century.

Meanwhile, in a press statement issued on Monday, the UHS spokesman reiterated that the university has neither terminated any academic programme nor there in any proposal to do away with age-old Masters of Surgery (MS), Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Masters of Dental Surgery (MDS) programmes. The notion given by some people in this regard is absolutely wrong and baseless.

He said that MD, MS and MDS programmes were designed for professionals who intended to pursue clinical practice and wanted to develop research skills in related areas. The UHS has received some proposals from some senior professors to change the admission criteria in order to revitalise these programmes. However, these proposals are yet to be discussed and approved by relevant statutory bodies of the university. The UHS has no intention, whatsoever, to terminate any of its programmes. However, efforts to reform the curricula and admission procedures will continue. The news

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QAMC students block two roads
Bahawalpur: Students of the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QAMC) continued their protest against the principal for the fourth consecutive day on Monday as the outdoor patients department (OPD) of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital was kept locked for the third day running.

Scores of girls were among the protesting students who forcibly drove out on-duty doctors and patients from the OPD before locking it.

After taking a round of the QAMC campus, students reached the OPD from where they brought out a rally. Holding two effigies of principal Prof Dr Ijaz Husain Shah, they came out of the campus, staged a sit-in on Circular Road and blocked traffic. The sit-in and road blockade continued till 9pm.

The protesting students also raised slogans against the principal and demanded his resignation besides release of their detained fellows. They were determined that their protest would continue till the acceptance of their demands.

No police official turned up at the scene, and it looked as if the city was at the mercy of protesters.

The protesters put up tents on two roads and encamped in them. The whole-day blockade of Circular and Bund roads created a gridlock as no traffic police official dare to come there for fear of court's explanation and any possible action. Dawn

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CJP seeks report over torture of female QAMC students
Islamabad: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday directed the Punjab provincial police officer (PPO) to submit a report on August 26 regarding the use of force on female students of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC), Bahawalpur. The CJP took suo motu notice of the matter on news reports of a police crackdown on female students of QAMC on August 21.

It was also reported that male police officials baton-charged female students of the college when they were peacefully protesting outside Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, for their demands. Police had launched a crackdown on the female students protesting for their demands, including the withdrawal of an unprecedented increase of up to Rs 50,000 per year in fee and power outages at the college. The police tortured several students, both male and female, and arrested scores of others. Daily times

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300 teachers without pay for three months
Lahore: Around 300 teachers of the Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department serving in district Lahore have been facing financial problems owing to non-payment of their salaries for three months.

Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department officials said the subject related to award of salaries now rested with respective district government.

Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, when contacted, expressed ignorance about the issue.

However after getting details from EDO, Literacy, Lahore, he confirmed the issue and said the district government was responsible for award of the salaries.

District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta was also unaware of plight of the teachers.

However after collecting details from his sources he also confirmed the issue.

He said it was a development project while head of account was not changed yet to the extent of salaries owing to which the salaries could not be paid. District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta, however, said the issue would be resolved by Tuesday (today).

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Young teachers asked to raise competency
Lahore: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz has urged the young teachers to enhance their professional competency, explore teaching skills and act as role model for the society.

Speaking at inauguration of a 5-day teacher training course "Professional Competency Enhancement Programme for Teachers (PCEPT) Part-I" at varsity's seminar room on Monday, he said that PCEPT would be valuable for teachers especially the newly-appointed teachers, adding the course was aimed to train young teachers on aspects ranging from personality development to administration and execution of professional responsibilities.

The course has been organised by the UVAS Centre for Educational Policy and Administration (CEPA) in collaboration with varsity's Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC). The training course comprise 10 sessions to be carried out by resource personnel from different institutes including UVAS, Government College University, University of Education, Lahore and Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore.

Almost 30 participants from various varsities were attending the course. Meanwhile, a press statement said the Punjab Irrigation department has allocated water supply for 56 hours for UVAS Patoki Ravi Campus land. UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz had requested the Punjab government for the purpose of irrigating the land. Patoki Ravi Campus, which would be used for animal fodder cultivation. The news

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