PESHAWAR
The government has failed to appoint a dean in Khyber Medical College, the oldest medical school in the province, under Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015, which is causing administrative and academic problems, according to sources.
They said that provincial government passed Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015, two years ago to replace the old system with a new one but 1,500 students of KMC were yet to see any difference as the dean was not appointed in the college.
Under the new law, the post of principal has been replaced with that of dean that should be filled according to new merit-based rules against the appointment of the former, who is selected by government from a panel of BPS-20 medical teachers.
The MTIs allow all the BPS-20 professors to apply for such posts and selection is made on the basis of qualification, research, administrative and clinical experience.
Deans have been appointed in other MTI-covered institutions including Khyber Girls Medical College, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, Mardan Medical Complex and Ayub Medical College.
The KMC, having more students than any of the 10 public sector medical colleges, began process to recruit the top officer under the new law in January 2016.
Sources said that MTIs were run on the advice of board of governors formed by government to enforce the law and improve patients’ care as well as medical education.
They said that the pace with which things were moving with regard to appointment of dean in KMC indicated that the issue was likely to stretch till election next year.
The students, meanwhile, said that got admission in KMC because they passed FSc and entrance test with highest marks but those, who were admitted in other colleges, were better because the system was in place there.
“Coordination within KTH, consisting of Khyber Medical College, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Khyber College of Dentistry, has not been up to the desired level,” they said.
Sources said that BoG wanted to have a dean selected on merit as per the provision of MTI Act, 2015 but those presently at the helm of affairs at KMC did not so. They said that the modus operandi was to linger on the issue with the hope that the next government would undo the law and would revert to old mechanism for appointments of candidates on top slots.
A total of 12 candidates applied for the post of dean in KMC. Eight of the 12 candidates were interviewed when Peshawar High Court stopped further proceedings. Interviews of four of the remaining candidates were conducted last Friday after the court allowed the selection committee to proceed.
Two petitioners would be re-interviewed on Monday April 17, 2017 as per decision of Peshawar High Court.
Sources said that court’s wrangling was unlikely to die down despite formation of the committee, which included reputable medical teachers from the country’s premier institutions.
“Movers of health reforms are not at ease with the procedural delays. So is case with 246-member faculty, largest than any other MTI, who argues that delay in appointment of dean is affecting college’s administration and academic work,” said sources.
KMC is the prime medical institute of the province and it is expected to produce quality human resource for healthcare services. The importance of regularly appointed dean through lawful process cannot be overemphasised.
