100 MBBS students of Federal Medical and Dental College were awarded
ISLAMABAD:18 september: On a day when the main focus was supposed to be on the students and how they would be entering the next chapter of their life, officials and even students of a medical and dental college in the capital chose to use the spotlight to highlight the lack of infrastructure and facilities necessary to impart quality medical education.
With the health minister in the audience, the decision proved to be fruitful in drawing his attention to the problems of the institution.The drama unfolded as around 100 MBBS students of the Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC) were awarded their degrees during their convocation on Monday. Being the only government-run medical college in the federal capital, FMDC is currently operating out of a building meant to house a primary school for specially-abled people.
Officials during the convocation ceremony said that they had a 100 per cent result with all enrolled students passing their exams despite the acute lack of resources.
Addressing the students, FMDC Principal Professor Dr Tanwir Khaliq lamented that the college did not even own its campus and has to keep relocating from one building to another.
Such was the state that they were forced to operate out of a portion of a primary school meant for specially-abled children and only had three rooms available to serve as lecture halls.
“The current building does not fulfil our demands,” Prof Khaliq stated, adding that they do not even have proper laboratories.
He dilated that the college initially operated under the Cabinet Division then it was devolved under the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). With CADD now abolished, it has been handed to the health ministry.
“A medical college cannot be run in the building of a primary school,” Dr Khaliq declared, demanding land for constructing a purpose-built campus.
Apart from solving the land issues, he said that the teaching faculty of the college also had a number of serious reservations, including regularisation issues, which should be resolved.
FMDC inducts students from all over Pakistan, with seats reserved for all the provinces hence making it the only government sector medical college in the centre with representation from all over Pakistan, providing equal opportunities for students throughout the country to excel.
At the moment, around 700 students are enrolled in it.
But the future of these students seems to be up in the air, the principal cried, adding that their students are at the bottom of the preference lists when it comes to house jobs or induction in post-graduate training programmes.
Moreover, he said that eight years after the college was first established, the project concept-I (PC-I) for the college building has yet to be approved and students are forced to either bunk in private hostels or rent expensive accommodations in the capital.
Prof Khaliq added that while the college does not have sufficient basic science faculties, it has continued to produce quality graduates.
After patiently hearing the complaints, Federal Health Minister Aamer Mehmood Kiani commended the college administration and students and assured them their problems will be sorted out on an urgent basis.
“We must make all-out effort to resolve the problem that had been highlighted.
We will bring major improvement in the college within a year and will take up the matter of FMDC building with the prime minister,” Kiani vowed.
The minister hinted at allocating space for the college in the F-9 Park as he said there is a building lying vacant in the park.
“Our patients deserve the best-trained doctors and nurses in the world – and this is what our government believes,” the minister said, adding that they will support doctors to deliver compassionate care through providing them with the training, support and skills they need to take this agenda forward.
The minister awarded degrees to the students and conferred medals to the high achievers.
Dr Ayma Khan was declared the best student of the batch.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2018.
