The batch of 50 students shortlisted for admission to the 2016-17 session Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC) in Larkana face an uncertain future as the federal ministry of health has yet to issue the much-awaited notification to grant the college recognition.
Sources in the college report that upon physical inspection of the college, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had recommended to the ministry to issue the notification. This issue was followed by reminders, but to no avail.
The admission department of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) had completed the process of admission for 2016-17 in its constituent colleges according to the academic calendar, and classes were scheduled to start in the last week of December 2016.
But unfortunately, the classes could not be started for the new batch on time since the university had not even sent offer letters to the selected candidates, thus, two important months had already been wasted.
In addition to the batch of 50, four batches of 200 students who are akready studying in the college face a bleak future until the institution is awarded recognition.
BADC principal Prof. Dr. Ilyas Sheikh confirmed that the college was not only waiting recognition but it is also facing a host of other issues.
“Where would the final-year students go to do their mandatory one-year house job after passing out from the college, when there was zero progress on sanctioning house job to another group of 75 BDS graduates of this college?” asked the principal.
He said the college had been in communication with the secretary of health since February 2016 over the issue through the medical superintendent of the Chandka Medical College Hospital, but with no result.
The college faces yet another dire issue. A substantial department of oral and maxillofacial surgery had been handed over to the college administration in February 2016 but remains non-functional to this day because it has no staff. The MS of CMCH has not yet made any appointments to the department, according to the sources.
The principal confirmed this and said that all practical work at the main OPD of the hospital had remained stalled for two weeks due to lack of funds.
“The consultants were examining patients in the OPD without doing any practical work, which might be beneficial for patients but not so for students as they would not have opportunity to learn,” he said.
The college administration and provincial finance department had locked horns over certain financial issues. According to the sources, it was so disheartening for the college that when an advertisement was placed in newspapers in September 2016 for the posts of principal and professor in BADC, no one applied.
