THE Sindh governor recently announced the Karachi Medical and Dental College will get university status soon.

With this there will be record number of medical universities in Sindh.

Recently, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre was also awarded university status.

Creation of new universities and giving status of university to existing medical colleges is not a good strategy.

Previously, there was an impression that proper faculty is not available in these institutes.

Therefore, medical graduates were not getting required standard education and training.

Even at present, the experts in medical education are not satisfied with curriculum and training of medical students Reputation of a few existing medical colleges now having university status is not positive.

There is a big question mark over studies and examinations being held there.

At international level, research work is associated with medical universities. Any new invention in the field of medicine or new diagnosis is a hallmark of medical universities around the world.

But, unfortunately, this is not a tradition in our country.

Keeping in mind this aspect, present universities do not fulfill criteria to become universities at all.

Graduates produced by these universities will face an awkward situation when they will present their academic certificates somewhere else at the international level.

With the mushroom growth of these universities, another technical question comes up.

The institute like the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, which is postgraduate diploma and degree awarding institution, is still called a college.

It would be very strange that medical graduates will get certificates from a medical university.

But after further studies and proper training of four years to become specialist, they will ,bet a degree from a college.

Both, the federal and provincial governments. should act on this issue. This anomaly should be sorted out as soon as possible.

For the tune being, announcements for more medical universities should be avoided.

DR ALFRED CHARLES
Karachi