LARKANA, Dec 9: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Larkana chapter has threatened to lunch a protest if the search committee constituted to recommend names for new vice chancellor of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) selects an outsider as a new VC.

Speaking at the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected PMA body at the auditorium of paediatrics’ surgery here on Monday, its president Dr Shahbaig Chandio said that rejecting a lot of senior professors from Chandka Medical College and Ghulam Muhammed Mahar Medical College in the interviews held on Nov 29 by the search committee was quite uncalled for.

He called for appointing one of the professors appeared in the interviews as the new vice chancellor of SMBBMU Larkana, otherwise the PMA would be compelled to come on roads against any other decision.

He also urged the government to devise an active security system for doctors because they felt insecure in their homes, clinics and even at work places due to the worsening law and order situation.

For a long time, the university management had been denying ‘hard area’ allowance to the teaching faculty of SMBBMU Larkana.

Dr Ikram Tunio, general secretary of the PMA, accused the former vice chancellor of keeping them on false hopes till his (VC’s) resignation and urged the acting VC to fulfil what he called genuine demands of promotions and allowances in line with the charter of the University and Higher Education Commission’s rules.

Speaking as chief guest, acting VC Prof Dr Assadullah Mahar said the university was confronted with financial problems and regretted that the federal and provincial governments had failed to extend the required finance for the SMBBMU project.

Of the annual funding to the university, major share went in the account of salaries and allowances. Therefore, he could not commit to fulfil the demands of the teaching faculty, he said.

He announced to upgrade the emergency unit of Chandka Medical College Hospital and turn it into a fully-fledged trauma centre. He said a complete ward for liver diseases would shortly be made operational in the CMC hospital and a senior professor had already been recruited in this regard.

CMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Safiullah Abbasi promised to extend ‘hard area’ allowance to the doctors working in the hospital and to give full medical cover to them and their parents.

The acting VC administered the oath to the newly-elected PMA body.