LAHORE: The Ameeruddin Medical College (AMC), Lahore, has completed its two years without its own faculty and building.This is a rare precedent in the medical education of Punjab.

The public sector college, which enrolls 100 students every year, is being run on the premises of the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) where ‘hired teachers’ of the same institute lecture them. The college was established in December 2012.

The college management now faces another issue as PGMI teachers demand “additional salary incentives” for teaching in both medical institutions, an official, who is close to the matter, told Dawn.

As the third session of the AMC will begin soon, the PGMI, which is already short of more than 40 teachers in basic sciences, feels the burden of the undergraduate classes of the AMC, says the official.

The makeshift arrangements have impacted the learning atmosphere at the college as a majority of the students complain that they find it difficult to get along in “odd arrangements”, says the official. There is no hostel for the AMC students.

PGMI Principal Prof Dr Anjum Habib Vohra, however, sees no solution to AMC issues in the near future.

He told Dawn the senior medics had demanded financial incentives to teach both postgraduate and undergraduate students. He said as teachers were overburdened with teaching duties and hospital jobs, he had forwarded a proposal to the health department to provide more teachers to avoid any break in education activities.

He said the PGMI was facing shortage of 10 professors, 12 associate and 15 assistant professors.

Mr Vohra said a separate faculty for the AMC might create some issues. “A separate faculty for the AMC means a new principal for this undergraduate medical college”, he said.

“I also proposed the construction of multistory twin towers on the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) premises to provide a building to the AMC students.” He said he had proposed 24 kanals at the LGH for the twin towers.

Health Secretary Jawad Rafiq Malik said the government was already facing similar issues at the newly-established medical colleges in Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal and Sialkot.

He said the proposal by the PGMI principal for more faculty was under consideration.

“We are facing the shortage of senior medics in basic sciences subjects in all public medical institutions in Punjab,” he said.

He said the health department had sought approval from the chief minister to fill in positions through ad hoc appointments.

He also made it clear the appointment of a separate faculty for the AMC might take time due to some issues but the department was considering the construction of a separate building for the AMC.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2015

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