MBBS admissions delay in Sindh medical institutions

Admissions in MBBS delayed due to political issues
Karachi: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Karachi Chapter, has shown serious concern over the unnecessary delay from Sindh government in devising a new uniformed admission policy for medical universities and colleges in Sindh for the academic year of 2009, and said that a political rift between two leading political parties of the province is causing significant academic loss.

After being frustrated from significant impediment in admission procedures, many students have got admissions in a renowned private medical university of the country, while some of them are being admitted in other varsities and colleges, General Secretary PMA Karachi Dr Samrina Hashmi said on Wednesday.

She said that parents were still waiting for starting of admission procedures due to their financial deprivation to get their children admitted in private varsities, but the provincial government has failed to announce admission policy.

She demanded the government that the admission should be given on open merit across the province; admission test should be commenced once in the province.

She said, "Earlier it was rule to give admission around 90 students from Interior Sindh in the medical institutions of the city. Sindh Government is trying to restore the rule and give some relaxation to students belonging to interior Sindh in the admission procedures that are carried out on open merit in different medical institutions of the city. On the other hand, a leading party of the province is reluctant to allow the government to do so."

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had decided few months ago to review and devise a new admission policy of medical universities and colleges in Sindh.

The decision was causing significant delay in the admission procedures for medical institutions as the policy has yet to be announced.

On the other hand, Vice Chancellor Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Prof Masood Hameed Khan has already mentioned that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had already stated that Sindh government would prepare a uniform admission policy for the medical academic year of 2009 that is why we are waiting for the said policy.

It is also worth mentioning that DUHS gives students admissions to MBBS and BDS course at Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College and Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences. Last year more than 5 thousands candidates had participated in the entry test for 650 seats of MBBS and BDS, while the entry test had immediately been held just after the completion of intermediate (pre-medical group) annual examinations-2008.

An official of a public medical institution of the city said that the considerable impediment from the government was giving huge financial advantage to private coaching centres, giving training to the students of intermediate-level for the admissions to MBBS and BDS course at Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College and Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences.

He said that some parents were paying around Rs 100,000 for getting their children trained for the entry test.

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Karachi university B.A. External Supplementary exam 2008
Karachi: The examination department of the University of Karachi (KU) has notified all the candidates appearing in B.A. External Supplementary Examination 2008, which will start from 14th September 2009, that their admit cards and program of the examinations are being dispatched at their postal addresses. According to a press statement issued here on Thursday, candidates who do not receive their admit cards by September 11 are directed to contact to the External Unit, Examinations Department at Silver Jubilee Gate, Room No. 1, from Sept 12-14 (including Sunday) between 8:30 am to 1:00 pm for the issuance of duplicate admit cards.

Teachers' transfers, postings banned in Sindh
Dadu: Sindh Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq on Thursday imposed a ban on transfers and postings in the Education department in the interior of Sindh, besides setting up a committee to probe into dubious and fake entries of teachers and the 'so-called' ghost schools.

The decision was taken during a senior minister's meeting with officials of the Education department, DCOs, EDOs, DOs, ADOs, supervisors and representatives of teachers' associations. It was also decided that a census would be held to gather statistics related to the Education department, including the number of schools, teachers employed, etc.

Meanwhile, another meeting has been convened on Saturday to discuss the reforms in the education sector in 121 Talukas. Initially, Dadu and Johi would be taken as test case for implementing the reforms and once successful such reforms would be emulated in other Talukas.

Pir Mazharul Haq expressed his total lack of confidence in the report prepared by the Reform Support Unit of the Education department, detailing information about the number of schools, accessories available, enrolment, etc.

Officials of the Education department and the Reform Support Unit traded allegations and accused each other of complicity in corruption. The minister, taking serious notice of the issue, formed a committee to probe the matter and fix responsibility. The minister, talking to reporters, gave one week to officials to implement the decisions of the meeting and vowed to punish corrupt officials.

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Suicides on the rise in Pakistan
Karachi: According to a study conducted by the Aga Khan University (AKU), the number of suicides is steadily rising in Pakistan, with an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 incidents per year.

Almost 34 per cent of the population, mostly under 30 years of age, suffers from common mental disorders and more than 90 per cent of suicides can be linked to depression, according to Dr Murad Moosa Khan, Chairperson of the AKU Department of Psychiatry.

In order to raise awareness, World Suicide Prevention Day is commemorated on September 10 every year by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).

"More than a million people worldwide commit suicide each year. This is greater than the number of people killed in wars, terrorist activities and homicides," said IASP President Prof. Brian Mishara. Over six million people are affected each year by the disastrous impact of the suicide of a close friend or family member.

The WHO estimates that globally there is one suicide every two minutes. In Muslim countries, where suicide rates are generally low, Pakistan stands out as an anomaly. A growing socio-economic crisis, civil unrest and other social burdens have worsened the situation.

The inability of the government to resolve these issues increases frustration, which converts to depression. "One of the factors in suicide is hopelessness. The more depressed you are the more hopeless you feel," said Dr Khan.

Suicide attempts that do not succeed have a psychological, social and economic cost.

Suicide results from several factors, including mental illness, poverty, substance abuse, social isolation, losses, relationship difficulties and workplace problems.

To be effective, suicide prevention needs an approach that acknowledges the multiple causes of suicidal behaviour.

Dr Khan says that an immediate mental health intervention is needed in Pakistan. "For this, we need to reduce access to commonly-used methods of suicide, which in Pakistan include pesticides or poisons," he said. Training of female health workers to identify and report potential suicide cases as a pre-emptive measure is necessary in this regard.

He further said that spreading education and awareness in communities and giving support to people who have attempted suicides should be a priority. "The media can play an extensive and very important role in helping us spread this awareness," he said.

To understand the scope of the problem in Pakistan and to discuss the socio-economic, legal and other aspects of suicide, the Suicide Prevention and Research Interest Group (SPRInG) at the AKU is organising a seminar and workshop titled "Suicide: Hidden Realities in Pakistan", to be held at the AKU Auditorium on Wednesday September 30, 2009. The news

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