KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the management of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College (SMBBMC) in Lyari to upgrade its infrastructure and facilities within three months to meet the requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

After failing to comply with an earlier order of the SHC passed in 2019, the college again approached the SHC and sought a further extension of six months to rectify the deficiencies and complete all necessary requirements for the PMDC inspection in order to avoid curtailment of its 50 per cent seats.

In February 2019, the SHC had set aside a decision of the PMDC regarding curtailment of the seats of the college from 100 to 50 and directed the Sindh government to rectify the deficiencies within three months positively, and thereafter the college would ask the PMDC for re-inspection of the institution.

The management of the college in its latest application stated that due to Covid-19 outbreak and financial constraints, funds for the construction of a new building were released in May-June 2022, but lapsed on June 30, 2022. The same were released in August last year and the construction work was at an advance stage, it added.

PMDC had in 2019 curtailed 50pc seats of SMBBMC due to insufficient infrastructure

It also submitted that in the light of the court order, machinery and equipment were partly purchased and procurement of remaining instruments was underway. It maintained that the delay was caused due to financial constraints of the government, rapid fluctuation of the US dollar and belated process of opening letters of credit (LCs).

The new faculty had been inducted and permission was also accorded to recruit lower staff from BPS-1 to BPS-15, but the same was still pending due to an interim stay order passed by the SHC on a lawsuit filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, it added.

The management of the college also contended that under the policy guidelines of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Sindh caretaker government could not make appointments while applications of newly-appointed faculty were also pending before the PMDC since long owing to change of its status from the Pakistan Medical Council to the PMDC and without registration of the faculty, the college would not consider the new faculty.

It also claimed that the college was diligently working to rectify the deficiencies but due to such circumstances, the required work could not be completed.

It submitted that the health secretary sent a letter to the PMDC on Oct 2, requesting for grant of six-month time to fix the issues, but no response was received yet.

After a preliminary hearing, a two-judge bench headed by acting Chief Justice Irfan Saadat Khan stated in its order: “Through this application the respondent No. 5 seeks extension of time for completing all necessary documentation for the inspection of the PM&DC. Three months’ time is extended for the same.”

Several petitioners, including some candidates interested to take admission in the college, had moved the SHC in 2018 against a decision of the PMDC for reducing the seats from 100 to 50 and sought directive for the Sindh government to provide relevant facilities, release funds and fulfil all necessary requirements before the next inspection of college by the PMDC.

Besides granting three months to the provincial government to address the deficiencies, the SHC in its order passed in 2019 had also said that in case the deficiencies were not found to be removed or rectified on the re-inspection consistent with the benchmark and yardstick articulated by the PMDC, then action might be taken by the PMDC against the college in line with law.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023