Development projects in health education sector
Foundation stone of Institute of Cardiology laid
Rawalpindi, Oct 8: Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif Wednesday laid the foundation
stone of the Rs2.6 billion Institute of Cardiology at Rawalpindi
Medical College Staff Colony along Rawal Road. While laying
the foundation stone, he directed the concerned authorities to complete
the mega health project within one year. The cardiology institute,
comprising 220 beds, would have all modern health facilities. The
institute will be completed under the supervision of Punjab Health
Department. The provincial government has initially allocated Rs100
million for work on the institute. The remaining money for the project
will be released in phases. Talking to journalists after laying
the foundation stone of the cardiology institute, Mian Shahbaz Sharif
said that his government was trying to provide better health and
education facilities to people all over Punjab. "Projects like
cardiology institute, Danish School in Takht Pari and different traffic
projects are gifts for the people of Rawalpindi from the Punjab
government." Responding to a query, the chief minister said
that the issue of award of NA-55 ticket would be resolved on the return
of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif from abroad. To another query, he
said that the Punjab government will construct underpasses at all
intersections of Murree Road instead of the elevated expressway. He
said that the plan has been changed because of the increase in cost of
the elevated expressway. According to him, the project was initially
estimated to cost around Rs16 billion, but now the project cost has
risen to Rs30 billion. Keeping in view the situation, the Punjab
government has decided to construct underpasses instead of the elevated
expressway. He said that the government of Punjab has
constituted a committee comprising members of the NLC, C&W and
Nespak besides multinational companies. The committee has been directed
to submit a report in this regard by October 18. After evaluation by
consultants, the cost of underpasses would be estimated and allocated
after approval. Later, the Punjab chief minister paid a visit
to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital where he laid the foundation stone of
the new block of ICU Ward. It would be equipped with state-of-the-art
facilities. He also inaugurated the new block of the
Psychiatric Department at BBH and visited different sections of the
hospital and listened to the problems of patients. He directed the
medical superintendent and deputy medical superintendent to resolve
grievances of patients and report to him. After inaugurating
mega health projects, the chief minister went to Mauza Takht Pari near
Rawat where he laid the foundation of the Danish School, which would be
constructed at an estimated cost of Rs200 million on 2,400-kanal land. Mian
Shahbaz Sharif said that 90 per cent quota of admissions would be
allocated for poor children, while the remaining 10 per cent will be
left for people who could afford to educate their children in the
school. He constituted a committee of board of governors for
looking into the affairs of the institution. The chief minister
directed the concerned authorities to complete construction work in the
shortest possible time. Strict security measures were adopted during
the visit of the chief minister. Dawn
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University of Peshawar registrar accused of nepotism
Peshawar: The registrar of University of Peshawar (UoP) has been
accused of allegedly violating rules to appoint several close relatives
in the largest public sector university of the province in recent
years. Shirinzada Khattak claimed that he had never extended
any favour to his relatives. He said that his relatives or
villagers recruited in the university were appointed on merit. Sources
said his wife was recently appointed as teaching assistant at
biotechnology department, where she served as lecturer (contractual)
from March to June 2009. Subsequently, she resigned and joined the
Seerat Studies department as visiting faculty member. She would
continue to take Seerat Studies classes while serving as teaching
assistant at biotechnology department. According to sources, the
registrar got his sister appointed as nursery teacher at the University
Model School despite lacking qualification for the job. However, Mr
Khattak insisted that his sister was qualified for the post, adding
that her appointment took place in 1998-99 when Sher Bahadur or Shakeel
Ahmad was the registrar. Sources said that the registrar also
enabled his cousins, nephews, nieces and other relatives to land jobs
of teacher, assistant warden, clerk, attendant, mechanic, etc at the
university. When confronted with the facts and told about every such
case, Khattak denied that all of them were his relatives. He insisted
that these people were appointed on merit. "Whenever any Khattak is
recruited in the university, some elements start saying that he or she
is my relative," he remarked. The news
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Registered madrassas fraction of total
Islamabad: The actual number of madrassas in the country is much
greater than the registered 15,843, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr
Babar Awan told the Senate on Wednesday. Responding to a query
from Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro on behalf of the federal education
minister, he said Punjab topped the list with 11,332 madrassas. He said
the Ministry of Education had provided financial assistance to 507
madrassas under the Madrassa Reforms Project between 2005-06 and
2008-09. Senators from NWFP and Balochistan, including Ismail Buledi,
Ilyas Bilour and Lashkari Raisani, also criticised the Education
Ministry for awarding scholarships to fewer students from their
provinces in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In response, Dr Awan said that the
ministry was strictly adhering to the quota system with no
discrimination against any province. No plans: Social Welfare
and Special Education Minister Samina Khalid Ghurki, replying to a
question raised by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, told the House there was
no proposal under consideration to register senior citizens. "The
Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal has decided to establish senior citizen homes in
phases for people of 60 years and above across the country," she said,
adding five homes - one each at provincial headquarters and Islamabad –
would be established. Also on Wednesday, Federal Education
Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani informed the House through a written
reply that the number of children receiving primary education during
2006-07 and 2007-08 was 17.041 and 17.233 million, respectively. He
said this reflected an increase of 1.12 percent in primary school
enrolment. Daily times
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Experts for integrated medical syllabus
Islamabad: Experts here on Wednesday stressed the need for
introduction of integrated system-based syllabi for medical education
in the country. Speaking at the inaugural session of a
two-day workshop on medical curriculum development, they also
highlighted the need for advance teaching methodologies including
multiple strategies of curriculum delivery; the significance of
community-oriented medical education with special focus on clinical
training and adoption of a uniform standard in medical education for
quality assurance. The workshop was organised by Pakistan
Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) aimed at developing a uniform and
integrated curriculum for both public and private medical colleges.
The academicians also highlighted the importance of family medicine
which so far remains an ignored discipline as very few students are
opting for it. They said more general practitioners were needed to meet
the challenges, which was only possible with counseling of the
students. They suggested student counseling at a very early
stage, so that they could learn the importance of family medicine and
consequently take up the discipline. Dr Musadaq Khan,
Principal Allied Hospitals Rawalpindi, pointed out that faculty was not
ready to accept the sudden changes in teaching methodologies.
Prof Abdul Majeed, Principal Fatima Jinnah Medical College, told this
reporter that the formation of the curriculum committee was a step
towards reforms in medical education as heads of various institutions
were involved in the process. "We intend to learn from each
other's experiences which would help us in developing advance modules
for medical education," he added. Registrar PMDC Dr Nadeem
said, "We will analysis all the suggestions we have received during the
first session that would help us in developing a uniform a standard
which does not exist at present." To a question, he said changing
methodologies was a lengthy process which not only required time but also careful assessment. Dawn
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Tarlai to get computer centre, library soon
Islamabad: The ICT administration with public and private partnership
would set up more libraries and computer centres in the rural areas,
said Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Assistant Commissioner (AC)
Sadar Fariduddin Mustafa on Wednesday while addressing an open kutchery
at Tarlai. He also announced that a library and a computer
centre would be set up at Tarlai very soon. According to a press
release, Mustafa listened to the problems of locals and assured them of
their resolution on priority. He said ICT had launched a number
of development projects for the rural areas including construction of
roads, clean drinking water supply schemes, pavement of streets,
up-gradation of school buildings and up-gradation of health facilities. The
locals demanded that the ICT administration set up a sasta bazaar at
Tarlai. Mustafa assured them that he would take up the issue with the
high authorities. Daily times
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Bid to blow school foiled
Peshawar: The bomb disposable squad on Wednesday claimed to have foiled
an attempt to blow a government girls school located at the
Nowshera-Mardan road, disposing off a five kilogram bomb, reported by a
private TV channel. The DSP Bomb Disposable Squad, Tanveer told that
the officials of the squad were informed about the plantation of a 5-kg
bomb near a government girls primary school, which they disposed off
taking swift action on the information. The bomb was placed in a
plastic shopping bag while they also found a warning letter kept with
the bomb inside bag, he said. There was a warning written on the letter
to close down girls school, failing which, some anonymous elements
threatened to blow off school, he added. F.P Report
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