Paramedical training courses: JPMC admission policy bans students from other provinces

The Sindh Medical Faculty (SMF) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) have imposed an unannounced ban on admission of students from other three provinces to paramedical training courses for almost a year, it has been learnt.

An employee at the JPMC said that the SMF and JPMC had imposed an unofficial ban on admission of students from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan to paramedical training courses despite the fact that the status of the institution could not be decided as the matter was still in the court.

He said that the SMF had last year not given a single admission to students domiciled in other provinces, adding that even the children and relatives of the employees working for the institution for the past 20 to 25 years could not get admission on open merit.

The JPMC offers admission in various disciplines of paramedical training courses, including operation theatre, laboratory technician, blood bank technician, dental surgery, X-ray technician and dispensers training, every year on open merit basis.

The JPMC is considered a national institution, in which over 2,000 people from different parts of Pakistan are employed since its inception. Uncertainty is prevalent in JPMC employees belonging to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as regards the policy of the administration.

Nevertheless, JPMC’s Deputy Director Admin Dr Jawaid Akhter Jamali said that the hospital administration was following the policy of the provincial health department for admissions and there was no hindrance from the JPMC management on this count.

SMF’s Secretary Dr Nadeem Sheikh however said that there was no ban on admission for students belonging to other province but admission would only be given on merit basis.