PMDC bans new medical, dental colleges

PMDC bans new medical, dental colleges for two years
Islamabad, June 02: From now on to December 31, 2012, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will not allow the opening of new medical and dental colleges in the country.

After 2010, a decision on whether or not to continue with the moratorium will be made, it is learned. Referring to the decisions made during a recent PMDC meeting, sources said the council would entertain no application for the opening of new medical and dental colleges until December 31, 2012 and would review moratorium only afterward.

According to them, the PMDC while agreeing to the structuring of house job decided that the structured house job would be known as foundation year and that the institutions providing house job would ensure that the candidate possesses a valid PMDC provisional registration once house job training slot is awarded.

Also, the institutions and the PMDC will maintain training record, and the intern will be registered by the relevant university. Sources said the house job/foundation year would have four modules and would be divided in two divisions of medicine and surgery and their allied specialty.

"Also gynaecology and obstetrics will be given adequate time in the surgery division. All four modules will have internal examination and there will be an OSCE examination conducted by the university under whose jurisdiction the institution training for the house job/foundation year falls," they said. The council also decided the specialised hospitals having one or two specialties could be recognised for training of three months module only. The news

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Medical college for Islamabad?
Rawalpindi: According to a press report of May 7, the Prime Minister has approved one more federal medical college for Islamabad. Eight medical colleges already exist in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Mostly, students from distant districts study in these colleges. As usual, the interior continues to be neglected because the elected representatives of the people do not demand state-of-the-art facilities for their respective under-developed areas as they and their families avail these facilities in a few major cities and concentration of these facilities suit them.

It will go in favour of the PPP government if the aforesaid medical college is so located as to provide this educational facility to maximum possible nearby backward districts, irrespective of the province, without a medical college. So, I propose a suitable site is Mianwali which is located at the intersection of roads from the adjacent districts of Chakwal, Khushab, Bhakkar, D.I. Khan and Karak.

The additional significant benefit to the people of these districts will be upgradation of the local hospital to qualify for a teaching hospital which will provide state-of-the-art medical facilities as well. I hope the Prime Minister will be kind enough to consider this proposal in the wider public interest. F.p report

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Book reading campaign starts at Hamdard University
Islamabad: A two-day book reading campaign kicked off at the Hamdard University here on Tuesday to raise awareness among students about valuable contributions made by the dedicated leaders of Pakistan.

As part of the campaign, precious books highlighting the efforts of various leaders have been placed in the university library and students as well as teachers have been asked to read them.

The notable personalities on which books have been placed in the library include the names of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Mohammad Iqbal and Hakim Mohammed Said.

Addressing the students and teachers, Hamdard University Director General Masood A. Malik said that the campaign has been launched to promote the reading habit among young people. "It is an unfortunate fact that today's youth have an immense lack of interest in reading, which is an integral part of personality building and ultimately nation-building," he said.

Previously, a drama festival was organised by the Student Affairs Committee, in which the Hamdard Institute of Information Technology (HIIT) and Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (HIPS) took part and presented humorous skits and dramas.

The drama titled 'Madness,' presented by the HIIT students, was declared the best in the contest. It revolved around a complicated social system, which sometimes turns the easiest of things into the most difficult job on earth.

The satirical drama was written by the students themselves, while the acting skills were no less than that of professionals.

The other dramas and skits presented on the occasion included 'Kaun Banay Ga Crorepati,' 'Rough' and 'Musharraf Parody' by the students of HIPS and 'Bay Nishan' by the HIIT.

The panel of judges included Hamdard University Director General Mushtaq A. Malik, Assistant Professor (Pharmacy Department) Iftikhar Ahmed and HIIT Director Brigadier (r) Zahid Malik.

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Annual sports prize distribution held at IIU
Islamabad: An annual prize distribution ceremony was held at the International Islamic University (IIU), Women's Campus, to honour students who brought laurels to the academic institution in various sports events.

Wafic Mohammad Rehaime, ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon, while speaking as chief guest on the occasion, stressed on the significance of sports in the development of an individual's overall healthy personality. Sports, besides studies, are essential for students to turn them into confident and dynamic persons, who could face the onslaught of life's challenges successfully, he said.

The ambassador said sports play a vital role in enhancing one's personality by being a source of exercise and entertainment along with inculcating goal orientation, sportsman spirit, and moral and ethical values in a person.

He also announced two special prizes for 'Best Faculty' and 'Athlete of the Year' that were received by the Faculty of Usuluddin and Ayesha Rashid of Faculty of Management Sciences respectively.

Student Adviser (IIU, Women's Campus) Professor Quaiserah M Alvi gave a vote of thanks to the honourable guest and said participation in sports brings on many physical and psychological benefits, such as boosting one's self-esteem. Studies have shown that girls who participate in sports activities are more likely to have more positive feelings of self-worth and self-esteem than those who are not physically active. Moreover, various studies have shown that children and youth who participate in regular physical activities have better academic performances as compared to their less active fellows.

A presentation was also screened on the occasion that highlighted the university's sports achievements. The news

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FDE holds games in sweltering heat
Islamabad: All schools operating under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) have started sports for students on the orders of the directorate.

Unmindful of the fact that whether the students would be able to endure the sweltering heat, the FDE plans to conclude the First Islamabad Games before the summer vacation.

An education official even alleged that the summer vacation, which were expected to start from the first week of June, have been delayed to accommodate the games.

Headmaster of a federal government school told this reporter that many students had fainted due to the sizzling heat during the last few days.

He said there were 40, 50 and even 60 students in one classroom and excessive loadshedding in this hot weather added to their woes particularly of the minor students.

He said games in this sweltering hot weather were so risky especially for the class six to eight students.

Parents have also expressed grave concern over launching of games in this hot weather. It is so risky for children to even go out of their homes in this scorching heat, let alone play games, they observed.

It is not understandable as what is the urgency in starting games in this most inhospitable weather, they questioned. They requested the directorate to start summer vacation earlier to save their children from exposing to the risk of heatstroke.

The FDE acting director general, Shaheen Khan, defended the plan and said the games would be concluded before summer vacation scheduled to start from June 18. In her view the weather is not so hot now, rather it is pleasant.

She said the idea to hold games was introduced by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on the demand of Pakistan Olympic Association. These games, she said, had been started in collaboration with Islamabad Olympic Association. She further said that the prime minister would inaugurate the games for which a request had been sent.

When asked about the time when weather is so hot, she said the plan had been under process for the last about five months but it matured now and so being executed. She said that necessary funds had been demanded in this regard.

But it is surprising because the financial year is about to end and the next budget is just a few days away. That is why some officials of the education department suspect that the amount might be budgeted in the 2009-2010 budget and in order to avoid its being lapsed, the plan is being implemented at this eleventh hour.

According to the plan, sports competitions will be held amongst students from class 5th to 10th. Different games like football, volleyball, badminton, tennis, cricket, hockey will be played in various institutions of the Federal Government Schools and Islamabad Model Colleges for both boys and girls. Dawn

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SZABIST holds Food Festival
Islamabad: Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) on Tuesday organised a Food Festival, featuring traditional cuisine and entertainment, on its Islamabad campus. Students displayed delicious hawker foods, fast foods, ice cream, cold beverages and other local foods of different areas. The event attracted a number of families, students and children. Meanwhile, SZABIST Business Club organised a Spring Mela on its campus wherein a variety of stalls were set up. It was followed by a live concert. Daily times

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Court summons VC Gomal Varsity in fake degrees case
Peshawar: Peshawar High Court has summoned Vice Chancellor Gomal University regarding fake degrees case, to show all the available records. A three-member election tribunal including Justice Mazhar Alam Miakhail of Peshawar High Court, has ordered Vice Chancellor of Gomal University to be present before the tribunal along with the all the available records regarding the ineligibility case senior minister Rahim Dad Khan, in upcoming hearing.

Peshawar High Court has issued decrees and notices to the concerned departments regarding the ineligibility cases of the members of provincial members, the members include Sayyed Mureed Kazim, Sarfraz Khan, Rahim Dad Khan and Sayyed Zahir Shah.

The writs have been filed against the four members of the provincial assembly by their political rivals in elections Ihtisham, Amir Saeed, Shahid Khan and Riaz Ali Khan and Haroon Bilour. They have adopted the stance that the elected members had used unfair means and ways during the elections and went higher, this is the reason the alleged members must be declared ineligible while the court adjourned the proceeding till next hearing. Ppi

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