Secretary health, other respondents issued notices: opening of four medical colleges challenged

The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Monday issued notices for February 25 to secretary health and other respondents in a petition challenging opening of four medical colleges in the province.
Advocate Noshab A Khan submitted that the government of Punjab inaugurated four medical colleges in Sialkot Gujranwala, Sahiwal and Dera Ghazi Khan without fulfilling basic requirements. He said it should have approved recognition of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for validation of Medical Qualifications.
He submitted that in these colleges the qualification would be invalid without recognition by the supreme governing body regulating the medial and dental education. He said there is allocation of 100 seats in each college and admissions for the academic session 2010-2011 have already been completed but the government has not even bother to apply to the PMDC for recognition till date.
This attitude of the respondent envisages malafides, he said. As a matter of fact for seeking recognition by PMDC, the government should have fulfilled the eligibility criteria including college building, qualified faculty, attached teaching hospital, fully equipped laboratory, library, and hospital but the newly opened colleges lack all these basic requirements.