Benazir varsity to resist govt’s demand for faculty transfer
LARKANA: The syndicate of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana, has decided to resist a request made on the recommendation of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to allow 14 faculty members to join the Khairpur Medical College, it emerged on Friday.
The syndicate discussed the letter, dated July 21, signed by Deputy Secretary at the CM Secretariat Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh and addressed to SMBBMU vice chancellor urging him to relieve the faculty members of their duties for two years.
The letter contained a reference to the directives of chief minister on the faculty members’ application.
The secretariat sought necessary action by the VC in accordance with the rules/policy.
The 14 professors, associate professors and assistant professors are currently serving in the departments of surgery, medicine, orthopeadic, radiology, bio-chemistry, forensic medicine, physiology and urology at the Chandka Medical College (CMC), Larkana, and Ghulam Mohammed Mahar Medical College (GMMMC) Sukkur. They were selected by the health secretary for the Khairpur Medical College on June 13, sources said.
SMBBMU registrar Prof Dr Sikandar Mughal in response to the CM Secretariat’s letter wrote on Aug 11 that the faculty at this university was already deficient.
Chandka Teachers Association (CTA) general secretary Dr Ikram Tunio in a March 19 letter to the VC called for urgent fulfillment of the deficiency in the light of the Feb 21 PMDC alert in this regard.
CTA president Prof Dr Badar Junejo, conveyed to the SMBBMU VC that “we have no objection in establishing new medical college but it should not be at the cost of affecting other institutions”.
He said the CMC and GMMMC were facing a shortage of faculty and PMDC has asked for fulfilling the requirement.
Allowing senior faculty to join Khairpur Medical College would cast a negative impact on both colleges, he said.
According to sources, the SMBBMU vice chancellor has allowed only two professors, Amar Lal Dodani and Allauddin Abro, to join the Khairpur college.
They have been relieved of their duties to enable them to undertake the new assignment.
Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2014