King Edward Medical University vacant posts
Vacant posts put KEMU status at stake
Lahore, Nov 25: The King Edward Medical University's (KEMU) recognition status is
at stake as up to 44 posts of senior medical faculty are lying vacant in basic
sciences as well as clinical departments. Senior medical teachers are of
the view that Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) may withdraw the
recognition status of the KEMU for up to 44 seats of senior medical teachers
including five posts of professors, 24 posts of associate professors and 15
posts of assistant professors, were lying vacant for the last several years,
badly affecting the quality of medical education and healthcare services in the
premier medical and health institution of the country. However, the
official sources, on the condition of anonymity, said that the varsity
administration had recently advertised 18 posts including four seats of
professors, six seats of associate professors and eight seats of assistant
professors to be filled on contract basis, which they dubbed as a breach of
Punjab government's policy of making appointments on regular basis. They
said the vacant post the KEMU was going to fill belonged to the King Edward
Medical College (KEMC), and fell under purview of the Punjab Health Department.
Therefore, they could be filled on contract basis. The doctors of KEMU
are of the opinion the posts of medical teachers should be placed in a general
pool of the Health Department, which should be filled on regular basis through
promotions of doctors from other medical institutions across the
province. The KEMU has also failed to develop its own faculty since
up-gradation from college to university level. Under the KEMU Act 2005, Section
4(j) the university shall ëcreate posts of professors, associate professors,
assistant professors, and demonstrators and other posts for research,
publication, extension, administration and other related purposes and appoint
persons theretoí. The officials say that the KEMU had, so far, been able to
create some administrative posts like Registrar, Controller of Examinations,
etc., and seven new posts in Department of Anesthesia (one professor, two
associate professors and four assistant professors), a few posts in Urology,
etc., with the approval of Syndicate. Section 20(2) states, ìThe existing
government employees of the King Edward Medical College, Lahore, shall be deemed
to be the employees of the university unless they opt for their retention in the
government...,". It is worth mentioning here that all the employees of the
institution including the incumbent vice-chancellor had en bloc opted to stay in
the provincial government service. However, the incumbent pro vice-chancellor,
who initially opted to serve as an employee of the university, had also returned
to the provincial government's service. Ever since the employees opted
for their retention in the government, the KEMU's failure in faculty development
task has taken its toll on the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate medical
education in the university. Meanwhile, according to vacancy position of
teaching cadre posts in KEMU, a total of five seats of professors, including
four posts in the departments of Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Radiology and
Nephrology at Mayo Hospital and a seat of professor of Anesthesia, created by
the Syndicate, for attached Lady Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitchison
Hospital, are lying vacant. Besides, a total of 24 seats of associate
professors, including five seats in Department of Anesthesia, three seats in
Mayo Hospital and one seat each in Lady Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitcheson
Hospital, two seats each in Department of Gynecology (Unit-III of Lady
Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital) and Department of Pharmacology,
and one seat each in the departments of Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry,
Forensic Medicine, Preventive Pediatrics, Cardiology, Nephrology, Psychiatry,
Ophthalmology (Unit-I), ENT (Unit-II), Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery (Unit-I) and Radiotherapy (Oncology),
are lying vacant. Similarly, a total of 15 seats of assistant
professors, including two seats each in the departments of Anatomy, Community
Medicine and Anesthesia - one seat of Anesthesia each in Mayo Hospital and in
one of the two other attached hospitals - and one seat each in the departments
of Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Psychiatry, Radiology, Plastic Surgery,
ENT (Unit-I), Pediatrics (Paeds Radiology) and TB & Chest Medicine (Chest
Radiology), are lying vacant. Besides, it is learnt that several posts
of demonstrators are also lying vacant, whereas, medical officers, serving on
current charge basis, are awaiting their promotions. Highlighting the
gravity of the situation in Department of Anesthesia, which is a critical
intervention in all kinds of surgeries in over 25 clinical departments of the
three attached hospitals of KEMU, the doctors informed that Prof Syed Millat
Hussain recently got retirement. Prof Dr Khawar Ali had been transferred and
posted in Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, though he had yet to relinquish
the charge. However, Prof Asghar Ali Randhawa from Punjab Medical College,
Faisalabad, has been appointed on the post of Professor of Anesthesia.
With the departure of Prof Dr Khawar Ali, there would be only one
Professor of Anesthesia out of two sanctioned posts in Mayo Hospital, while
another sanctioned post of Professor of Anesthesia for attached Lady Wellington
Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital is also vacant. Furthermore, five
out of the total six sanctioned posts of associate professors in Department of
Anesthesia, three out of four sanctioned posts in Mayo Hospital and two posts
(one each) in Lady Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital, are vacant.
Sources said that only assistant professors, no associate professor, had
applied for the advertised posts of associate professors. Similarly, two out of
eight sanctioned posts of assistant professors of Anesthesia, one out of four
seats of Anesthesia in Mayo Hospital and one out of four in the two other
attached hospitals, were also lying vacant. Three seats of assistant professors
in Lady Wellington Hospital and Lady Aitchison Hospital have been filled
recently. The surgeons have complained that the extreme shortage of Anesthetists
had been severely affecting the surgeries of a large number of patients in all
three attached hospitals. The doctors further informed that there was
severe shortage of medical teachers i.e. professors, associate professors and
assistant professors in basic sciences departments like Anatomy, Physiology,
Biochemistry, etc, the subjects which are studies by all students of MBBS, BDS
and Physiotherapy. In basic sciences subjects, according to PMDC rules,
there should be one demonstrator for 25 students, an assistant professor for 50
students, and an associate professor for 100 students and two professors for 201
to 300 students. Under these rules, the strength of medical teachers in basic
sciences is not sufficient in comparison with the enrolment of students i.e. 280
in MBBS Part-I, 280 in MBBS Part-II, 90 in BDS and 45 in Physiotherapy -
therefore unable to meet the PMDC rules. They said the qualified
teachers were not willing to join KEMU, especially on contract posts, unlike
when a number of candidates applying and looking for recommendations to secure
the vacant slots. On the other hand, they said, senior professors were
leaving from the university to join other public and private sector
institutions. KEMU Vice Chancellor Prof Zafarullah Khan was not ready to
give his version despite university's spokesman conveyed the message in this
regard. However, KEMU spokesman Dr Tabassum claimed that, presently, only
23 posts of senior medical teachers were vacant in the university out of which
18 posts had already been advertised and scrutiny of applications was being
done. It was not possible to take away the recognition status back as vacancies
keep on emerging due to frequent transfers and postings, he added. When
asked about a total of 44 vacant positions, he said that senior registrars and
assistant professors, recently regularized by the Punjab government, had filled
the vacant posts, though doctors contended that promotions, not regularization,
could only fill the vacant posts. When asked about KEMU's policy
of appointments on contract basis as opposed to government's policy of regular
appointments on Health Department's posts, he said that the Health Department
had authorized university to either conduct appointments itself or get them done
through the department. "The university is indirectly conducting these
appointments through the Punjab Public Service Commission by having its one
member in the selection board," he said, adding that the university would make
appointments on a five-year contract to be regularized after two years by
following the example of one-year probation period in PPSC
appointments. When asked about the university's failure in faculty
development, he said that the university's hands were tied until the completion
of Surgical Tower because the minimum requirement for new posts, according to
PMDC's requirements, was 35-40 beds in a given department. However, he said that
the Syndicate had created seven posts in Anesthesia and two posts in Urology as
well as establishment of two separate units of Skin
Department. Health secretary Anwaar Ahmad Khan said that KEMU was not
authorized to conduct appointments on government's posts on contract basis.
ìThey can't make appointments on contract basis," he asserted when informed that
PPSC was recruiting doctors on regular basis. However, he said that KEMU must
have been doing appointments on its own posts. When asked if KEMU had created
its own posts, he said, they did not have funds to develop their faculty. The news
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GCU students dissatisfied with security on campus
Lahore: The Government College University has been unable to replace its metal
fence wall with a concrete one, despite strict instructions by the government to
do so. The university's metal wall poses serious threats as it gives a
clear view of the inside of the campus. GCU security officer Dr MK Ashraf
said they had not received instructions from the authority to replace the fence
wall with a concrete one. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (Security) Imran
Arshad said they were checking security at schools and would check universities
later. After last month's suicide blasts at the International Islamic
University Islamabad, the Punjab government had suggested several security
arrangements to educational institutions. Last month, institutions
across the province had been closed for a week and police and Special Branch
personnel visited the institutions to ensure their security. The government in
collaboration with police formulated a special security plan, which was
forwarded to educational institutions across the city. The institutions were
required to have an eight-feet-high concrete wall with a two-feet fence, CCTV
cameras, armed security guards, barriers, two security guards at main entrances,
check students with metal detectors and also check the identity cards of
students, security guards, drivers, conductors, and peons. After
the institutions reopened, students at the GCU still feared for their safety, as
a concrete wall had not been constructed and urged the university administration
to follow the government's directions. A student, Adil Malik, said they
usually gathered at the Oval Ground of the university after classes but now felt
threatened due to the fence wall. Another student, Hifza, said they were
not safe because of a clear view of the inside of the campus from the road. She
said other institutions had constructed high walls around their campuses, and
the GCU should do so as well. The GCU security officer said the
university had taken several measures to ensure the students' security and was
satisfied of them, adding the university's walls were above eight feet.
District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta said the main concern was
not allowing outsiders to enter the premises of the institution regardless of a
fence or a concrete wall. Daily times
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Prize distribution ceremony
Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that national resources
were mercilessly looted under the supervision of the former rulers and problems
being currently faced by the masses including unemployment, poverty and
ignorance are the result such acts. The Chief Minister was
addressing prize distribution ceremony of the position-holder students of
intermediate examination of the whole province at Chief Minister Secretariat,
here Sunday. He said that those who got heavy loans written off with the connivance of a
dictator and misappropriated billions of rupees from Punjab Bank through
appointment of its head of their own choice despite opposition of State Bank are
responsible for the present sorry state of affairs in the country.
He said those who got loans of billions of rupees written off are enjoying a luxurious
life but he is confident that they will have to pay for their misdeeds. He said
that time has come for returning the looted wealth to the people.
The Chief Minister further said "It is a fact that the aim of progress and prosperity can
not be achieved without elimination of poverty and ignorance, therefore, the
government is attaching top priority to the uplift of education sector and
revolutionary measures are being taken for this purpose". Punjab Educational
Endowment Fund has been set up with billions of rupees in the province and
scholarships are being awarded to talented students facing financial problems of
all the four provinces, he said. The Chief Minister
congratulated students winning top positions in intermediate examination and
paid tributes to their parents who despite limited resources had supported their
children. He also lauded the
performance of a position holder student Laiba Mukhtar who is a Thelasemia
patient and said that she had proved that nothing is impossible provided one is
determined and committed enough. He said that 50 position
holder students of various examination this year would be sent on a study tour
of educational institutions abroad and two students each from other provinces
would also be included in this programme. He further announced to bear all
expenses on the medical treatment of the student suffering from
Thelasemia. The Chief Minister gave
cash prizes of Rs. 400,000, Rs. 300,000 and Rs. 200,000 to students winning
first, second and third positions in the intermediate examination respectively
and a cash prize of Rs. 200,000, Rs. 150,000 and Rs. 100,000 to the heads of
their educational institutions. He also announced similar cash prizes for the
position holder students of Balochistan who are currently on a visit to Punjab.
He also gave commendatory certificates to position holders. The Chief Minister further
said that on one hand NRO weakened the foundations of the country while on the
other hand terrorism, price hike and corruption had posed serious problems.
Democracy is not the name of NRO, writing off bank loans and usurping of people' rights
but it is aimed at service of the people and utilization of national resources
for the benefit of the masses, he said. He said that it is
unfortunate that despite being a talented nation and having natural resources we
are still begging from others and are obeying their orders only for a meager
amount which does not behove a living nation. There is a need for living within
our own means instead of looking toward others, he added. The Chief Minister further
said that the prosperity of the country depends upon prosperity of the
provinces. He said that misunderstandings between the provinces will have to be
removed and equitable distribution of resources will have to be ensured.
He said that Balochistan rendered a number of sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan
and it is the need of the hour that grievances of the people of Balochistan
should be redressed and their rights should be upheld. He said that on behalf of
Quaid Pakistan Muslim League-N Mian Nawaz Sharif, "I assure Baloch brethren that
their due rights will be protected and PML-N will fight for their cause". He
said that a cardiology center is being established in Quetta at a cost of Rs. 2
billion and the foundation-stone of the project has been laid. He said that the
quota of students of Balochistan in the institutions of professional education
in Punjab has been increased and Punjab government will provide free educational
facilities to Baloch students who have a certificate from Balochistan government
that they cannot bear educational expenses. Senior Advisor Sardar
Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Provincial Minister for Education Mujtab Shuja ur
Rehman, Provincial Minister for Jails Abdul Ghaffoor, Member National Assembly
Saira Afzal Tarar, Chairman Taskforce Raja Muhammad Anwar besides members of the
National and Provincial assemblies, heads of educational institutions, teachers,
parents, columnists and intellectuals were also present on the occasion. APP
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Lecture on copyright
Lahore: Urdu Science Board (USB) on Tuesday organised a special lecture to
create awareness among creative writers, artists, publishers and booksellers
about importance of copyright. Deputy Registrar/In charge of the Intellectual
Property Organisation (IPO) Imtiaz Ali delivered the lecture and advised the
writers and publishers to register their literary, artistic and creative work
with the IPO. USB Director General Iqbal Nabi Nadeem said Pakistan was the
member of World Copy Treaty, adding under this treaty the signatory countries
were responsible for the protection of copyrights of each other. The news
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