KMC and the 6 years of hardship & struggle got no mean

Faheem Abbas
Khairpur Medical College KMC needs registration

Khairpur Medical College KMC is a government-owned institute, which was built to produce quality education of health and medical sciences. It is one of the mega projects of Sindh government (lead by PPP) in the name of providing better services and quality education to the people of Sindh.

In every state of the world, there are 4 pillars of good governance. Education, Health, Peace & Development. Among all, education is the only backbone of every civilized nation. But education without power and implementation is nothing. This has happened with the students of Khairpur Medical College KMC. Who studied and completed their degree, but yet got nothing to execute the power of knowledge. As, KMC’s degree is not yet recognized by the country’s medical and dental council, PMDC.

Khairpur Medical College KMC was built to serve the nation and provide good health facilities to people of Khairpur along with 9 other districts of Sindh province. But, alas! It’s badly failed. Poor governance & ignorance of health department of Sindh, changing policies of PMDC every year, personal and political interests, and dissolved PMC presidential ordinance by court again derecognized this institute. despite giving license to pass-out candidates of the first batch of KMC, in return, they issued a public notice for shifting of students and closure of medical colleges.

The struggle for registration was started one year back by students in January 2019. As PMDC was invited for the third inspection in December 2018 and the conveyer highlighted the deficiencies in his final report. All students were under extreme mental stress after that inspection. So they started their struggle from Khairpur to Karachi and compelled the government of Sindh to fulfil the deficiencies.

The future of doctors who were supposed to be in their classes and hospital postings strived for their rights for more than 30 days. They raised banners and protested on the roads and in front of the press club of Khairpur, Sukkur, and Larkana. As to ask the government of Sindh to fill the required deficiencies of Khairpur Medical College KMC. But young Doctors along with several social organizations who were working together didn’t get positive response and attention from both federal and Sindh government. Finally, students started a long march and they moved to CM house Karachi raise the voice of their rights.

Crowds of hundreds of people around more than a thousand including students and peoples of Khairpur reach Karachi. I was also present in the protest. Sindh government sent the focal person to dissolve our protest and they assured students that the government is keen to fulfil a timely registration of the college. But it was a political motivation just to remove mounted pressure exerted on them by students from all surroundings.

Several days passed, and looked like Government of Sindh had forgotten their promise and delayed this registration process. Time passed, PMDC (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) was dissolved by Presidential ordinance and a new statuary body hold the charge in place of PMDC called PMC (Pakistan Medical Commission). The PMC visited Khairpur Medical College KMC twice and in its last visit, and they went satisfied.

Also Read: Registration of Khairpur Medical College is once again revoked

The final year MBBS examination of 1st batch of KMC was scheduled in January. Luckily during this hectic environment on 29th January 2020 PMC issued a letter for registration of Khairpur Medical College. No words were there to show the happiness level of the students, their family members, other stack holders and the staff of KMC. But nobody knows this happiness will last for 13 days. As eventually PMC ordinance was challenged in Islamabad high court and on 11th February 2020 and the high court decided that the actions, orders and decisions are taken by PMC declared outlawed and they were not allowed to proceed further and the registration of Khairpur Medical College again become a dream for all stakeholders of KMC.

The first batch of KMC had cleared their final exam 3 months back. Since they are waiting for their house-job & registration number. But they hear no proper response from their alma mater, media, Sindh government, and the PMDC body. While the other students of passed-out batches of various public & private medical colleges of Sindh like GMMC, CMC, PUMHS, LUMHS, DOW JPMC etc. are performing their house-job in their corresponding hospitals.

But, what about the first batch of KMC? What about 100 graduates? What will they do because they have no license, no verified degree? What is the future of these unregistered students? What will 500 current students suppose to do? There are hundreds and millions of these questions, being asked to the policies makers and government elected members. Pakistan’s mainstream media is silent, courts, law and order is silent, the federal government is silent, the community is quite. Yet, the youngest and well-equipped assets of the nation are wondering to seek an opportunity to serve in the time of pandemic when the nation requires their services.  

Also Read: Khairpur Medical College: Another victim of poor governance