PMDC registering more women than men

The yawning gap between the number of women and man
Islamabad, July 11: If the number of medical and dental graduates registered by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) over the last one-and-a-half years is anything to go by, then women continue to be on the march.

From January 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009, women kept alive the years-old tradition of securing more PMDC registrations of MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) degrees than men. Of the 10,651 general practitioners registered during the said period, 5,128 were female doctors while 4,228 were male, and 872 were female dentists with 419 male ones.

The yawning gap between the number of women and that of men passing the final examinations of medical and dental courses becomes clearer through a look at the breakdown of figures, which reveal that PMDC issued MBBS registrations to 1,998 women and 1,762 men between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2008; 1,159 women and 973 men between July 1, 2008, and December 30, 2008; and 1,981 women and 1,493 men between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009.

As for BDS, 280 women and 166 men secured PMDC registration of their degrees between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2008; 266 women and 85 men between July 1, 2008 and December 30, 2008; and 326 women and 168 men between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009.

However, the sole area where women lagged behind, and that too considerably, is the specialisation in medicine and surgery during the last one-and-a-half years. According to the latest PMDC statistics obtained by 'The News', of the 2,389 registered surgeons of medicine and surgery during the period, the number of men was much higher than that of women - 522 men and 284 women between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2008; 496 men to 213 women between July 1, 2008, to December 31, 2008; and 565 men to 309 women between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2009.

If the statistics are monitored closely, one will be surprised to know that currently the country has more female dentists than male ones. However, the medical side of the profession continues to be the male supremacy bastion.

Of the 8,945 registered dental practitioners, 4,649 are women and 4,296 men. In Sindh, 1,900 women hold the license to practice dentistry but the number of male dental licensees is relatively low (1,242). The situation is no different in Punjab and the federal area, where female dentists outnumber male dental practitioners (1,863 to 1,730). However, there are more male dentistry licensees than women.

As for the 115,063 nationwide medical practitioners, 67,164 are men and 47,899 women. The statistics put the number of medical specialists in the country to 22,370. Of them, only 22.7 per cent (5,083) are women against male medical specialists, totalling 17,287. The number of female dental surgeons spells out even more disappointment, as of the 561 registered dental surgeons, just 21.39 per cent (120) are women, while 441 are men.

When contacted, Hina Shokat Kiyani, the PMDC spokeswoman, said many doctors and dentists, without fulfilling the mandatory requirement of getting themselves registered with the PMDC, practice at private clinics and hospitals. She said every year, a good number of doctors move abroad and a few hundreds stop practicing for one reason or the other.

According to her, private and government medical and dental colleges offer admission to over 7,000 students every year. She said the ratio between available health facilities and the population has improved over the years and so has the number of doctors, but the internationally accepted ratio of one doctor for 1,000 patients is yet to be met. She said currently, only one doctor is available for 1,310 patients, suggesting that the country requires producing more doctors. Hina said the availability of a dentist to the population is much dismal, as there is just one dentist for 25,107 people.

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Students display cutting-edge practical
Islamabad: As many as 58 engineering projects were displayed at the Air University Project Exhibition 2009 here on Friday.

The projects were displayed in the disciplines of Mechatronics, Telecommunication and Electronic Engineering.

The exhibits targeted various energy solutions for the country like solar power generation employing sterling engine and windmill power generation. Some innovative projects such as the 'Quadcopter' were quite an attraction for the visitors. The projects relating to IP phone, WiFi and wireless internet security offered solutions to the telecommunication industry. The 'Artificial Hand', the 'Virtual Speaker' and the 'Automatic Vehicle Identifier' showcased the brilliance of the Air University students.

The exhibition provided an excellent opportunity to industry managers in talent hunting as well as looking for new ideas for their products.

The event brought together university students and staff, industry representatives, technology enthusiasts and the general public to celebrate the achievements of students in using cutting-edge technology, innovation and creativity in the real-world practical applications.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Science & Technology Mohammad Azam Khan Swati said that no society could prosper intellectually and economically unless practical and purposeful learning is provided that serves the country as a gateway to sustainable economic growth and social well-being.

He appreciated student for dealing with important areas such as internet controlled wireless security system, secure communication system, IP telephone, industrial process control and many others in the shape of telecommunication projects at the exhibition. "It is a great concern not only for the government and the ministry but also for the country's intelligentsia to find ways to cope with the rapid advancement in science and technology in all fields and be a part of the new industrial revolution and economic revival," he said.

The minister said that the transformation of vision for an invincible, developed and prosperous Pakistan is a debt of our founding father upon all of us and we have to repay it with honesty, dedication and sincerity of purpose by upholding his resolve. "Let us mobilise all our resources in a systematic and organised way and tackle the grave issues that confront us with firm determination and discipline," he said.

Swati said that knowledge, professionalism and dedication of youth would result not only in enhancing the national image but also increasing the living standard of the common man. He that the digital divide would be alleviated and prosperity would be shared by all.

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CDA School students excel in SSC exams
Islamabad: Students of the CDA Model School produced 100% result in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Part-II Annual Examination 2009 of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE).

A total of 51 students appeared in the examination. Out of them, 22 secured 'A-1' and 15 got 'A' grade.

Kaneez Fatima Butt secured first position in the school with the record marks of 985 out of 1050 in Science Group.

Kuntum Zehra was first in Humanities Group in the school by obtaining 838 marks.

Seven students of the school were placed

among top 60 position-

holders in the SSC examination.

The administration of the school has appreciated the efforts of teaching staff and hard work of students.

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Swati opens Air University exhibition
Islamabad: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati Friday inaugurated the Air University Projects exhibition.

The exhibition featured around 58 projects highlighting some of the pioneering research that was currently taking place at the campus in the disciplines of Mechatronics, Telecom and electronics engineering.

A large number of students, parents and representatives of various industries visited the exhibition and applauded the efforts of the students.

The projects targeted the various energy solutions for Pakistan like solar power generation employing sterling engine and windmill power generation.

Some projects like Quadcopter were technically advanced, innovative, and thus attractive for defence industry. Some projects related to IP phones, WiFi and wireless Internet security offer solutions to telecommunication industry.

Projects like artificial hand, virtual speaker and automatic vehicle identifier showed the elegance of Air University students. The exhibition provided an excellent opportunity to industry managers for talent hunt as well as a look for new idea for their products.

Artificial hand, virtual speaker and automatic vehicle identifier showed the elegance of Air University students. The News

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