Supreme Court orders inspection of private medical colleges, govt hospitals

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday constituted a five-member inspection team to carry out inspection of private medical colleges and delivery of services at government hospitals in Sindh.

Chief Justice of Pakistan 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.

CJP Nisar clarified that the court will not annul any admissions but will set standards for admission to medical and dental colleges.

He restrained the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) from registering any private college, observing that the court was currently scrutinizing the entire admission process of colleges.

The heads of medical and dental colleges in the province have been directed to submit affidavits that their institutions adhered to the required standards for medical education and whether the colleges were well-equipped and having all necessary facilities.

The chief justice said the court will provide the medical superintendents of government hospitals with a questionnaire with regard to service delivery and availability of equipment at their medical facilities to fill out.

They have also been directed to submit affidavits in this regard.