LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has accused the University of Health Sciences (UHS) of trying to discourage the doctor of medicine (MD) and the master of surgery (MS) programmes.
At a press conference at the Lahore General Hospital on Tuesday, YDA office bearers said that 21 doctors in MS/MD programmes have been expelled by the UHS without justification.
YDA leader Amir Bandesha said young doctors would hold a rally in front of the LGH on Thursday.
“A general council meeting has also been convened to decide the future strategy on this issue,” Dr Bandesha said.
YDA general secretary Usman Maan has written to the Health department and the Ministry of National Health Services about the issue.
“MD/MS are the oldest post-graduate medical education programmes of Pakistan. After the University of Health Sciences Lahore started in 2002, this programme has been neglected. The unjustified and discouraging regulations, inordinate delay in conducting examinations, lack of an academic calendar, out of syllabus paper setting and appointment of prejudiced and biased examiners has ruined the specialised degree programme,” Maan stated in the letter.
“The expulsion of enrolled students from MS/MD programmes on account of failure to pass the part-I examination in three consecutive attempts, availed or un-availed, has created a sense of resentment among the whole alumni of MS/MD and medical fraternity. The UHS authorities have been approached time and again by affected students and faculty to revise such regulations, but no single effort was made,” the letter stated.
“The UHS regulations violate the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Post-graduate Education Regulations 2011, framed under of the PMDC Ordinance, 1962 and the PMDC (Amendment) Act, 2012. The MD/MS regulations, too, violate the Medical and Dental Degrees Ordinance, 1982. Rule 41 of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Postgraduate Education Regulations 2011 does not provide for expulsion and drop out of a student from programme on the basis of failure in part-I exam of MS/MD,” the letter stated.
“The superior courts have ruled that the PMDC regulations are binding on all recognised institutes under the PMDC Ordinance. It is evident that the MD/MS regulations of UHS are violating PMDC Ordinance and the relevant regulations. The violation of PMDC Ordinance has penal consequences,” the letter stated.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2014.