ISLAMABAD: The finance ministry has sanctioned a post of dean for Quaid-i-Azam Postgraduate Medical College on the recommendation of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Dawn has learnt.

Sources said that the Pims administration had demanded of the health ministry to create the post of dean so that it could run its affairs effectively. The health ministry approached the finance ministry for creation of the post and allocation of salary and other additional benefits and facilities.

The sources said that the finance ministry created the post and the health ministry proposed three names of Prof Ghazala Mehmood of Gynaecology, Prof Zahir Abbas of Paediatric and Prof Aslam Shah of Surgery to the health minister for final approval.

The sources said that according to the rule of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council the dean should be a professor and has got at least 10 research articles published in national and international journal, his/her minimum age should be 45, and has at least five years experience of professorship.

Executive Directive Pims Jamal Mehmood when contacted said the case for the creation of the post had been in process since long.

He neither confirmed nor denied that the post was being created but said the notification in this regard was yet to be received in hospital.

The college was established in 1988 and being run under the administration of the Pims.

The deans worked at the post since 1988 without any salary and perks and privileges as the post was not sanctioned.Dawn