KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the formation of a five-member inspection team which will monitor private medical colleges and government hospitals in Sindh.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed a three-member bench at Karachi registry of the apex court, was hearing suo motu cases pertaining to poor services at public sector medical facilities and deteriorating standards of medical education at private medical colleges in the province.
The inspection team comprises of the vice chancellors of the Dow University of Health Sciences and Jinnah Medical College as well as Advocate Shahab Usto and Faisal Siddiqui.
It has been mandated to visit medical colleges to scrutinize their admission policies. The team will also visit government hospitals to ascertain whether equipment, ventilators, oxygen, incubators, CT Scan, MRI, ambulances etc were available there.
The CJP remarked that the court is reviewing the admissions process in private medical colleges and that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) will not register any more medical colleges.
The heads of medical and dental colleges in the province have also been directed to submit affidavits maintaining that adequate facilities were provided in their institutions.
Medical superintendents of government hospitals were also directed to fill questionnaires with regard to facilities at the hospitals and to submit affidavits in this regard.
The CJP reiterated his stance of holding accountable any medical college or hospital that failed to meet the standard requirements.
Earlier, the Supreme Court on Friday dissolved the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), which is responsible for regulating medical educational institutes across the country.
An interim committee had been formed to take charge of the council’s affairs. This committee will inspect private medical colleges as well.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, while announcing the verdict, stated that he will monitor the interim setup personally. A detailed verdict is yet to be released.
The SC, under its 2018 agenda, is focusing on human rights issues, particularly those relating to the people’s right to quality education and healthcare.