Pakistan: CJP warns to shut down OLMT-like projects if health, education state doesn’t improve: SCP fixes unified admission fee for private medical colleges

Pakistan/ January 09, 2018/Source: https://pakobserver.ne

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday issued an order fixing Rs 640,000 as the fee for admission to all private Medical Colleges in the country.

The CJP was hearing a suo moto notice of the exorbitant fees charged by private medical colleges and the lack of a uniform admission policy at Supreme Court’s Lahore registry when he passed the directives.

During the hearing private medical colleges’ owners and chief executive officers (CEOs), besides Attorney General of Pakistan were present in the courtroom.

During the court proceedings, the CJP expressed extreme displeasure over deteriorating standards of medical education and inflated fee structure of privately owned medical colleges.

He emphasised for a system wherein medical aspirants from modest background could afford to study in the medical colleges.

The chief justice also pointed out private clinics being operated by the doctors on the government payroll. He warned the government doctors to restrain from operating their private clinics and rather serve people in the public hospitals.

He also passed directives for the formation of a constitutional committee to scrutinize the constitutional implications at the medical colleges.

Meanwhile Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday deplored the dismal condition of public sector hospitals in the provincial capital and warned the Punjab government of halting development projects, if no initiative is taken to improve healthcare and educational facilities.

The three-member bench was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the condition of government hospitals in the provincial capital at the apex court’s Lahore registry.

During the proceeding, CJP remarked that machines in hospitals are not working properly and no one is paying attention to it. No compromise on education and health of the citizens will be tolerated, he clarified.

At the outset, the medical superintendents of various hospitals appeared before the bench in response to its notice.

CJP Nisar expressed dissatisfaction over the condition of government hospitals and directed them to submit comprehensive reports along with affidavits in this regard.

He clarified that the apex court’s taking notice of the situation of public sector hospitals was aimed at ensuring improvement in healthcare facilities, not taking action against them.

He also directed all medical superintendents to hold meeting and submit SOPs, continuing that the court wants to support you instead of discouragement.

In a reference to the provincial government’s costly advertisements showcasing its performance, the chief justice said the government should provide medicines instead of spending on advertisements.

He remarked the Punjab government was spending millions of rupees on advertisements.

While addressing the chief secretary, CJP Nisar said it was their responsibility to provide best possible healthcare.

If no work was done in the health and education fields, other projects, including Orange Line Metro Train project, would be halted, he warned.

The Apex court also on Saturday banned young doctors in Lahore from holding any more strikes.

Answering the chief justice’s question, the health secretary said that young doctors’ continuous strikes were the biggest hurdle in the provision of proper medical facilities to patients.

“If young doctors have any complaints, they should approach the court for their solutions,” said Justice Nisar.

The medical superintendents of government hospitals were present in court on Saturday’s hearing, during which Justice Nisar commented that the state of government medical facilities was not satisfactory.

He ordered that statements from medical superintendents should be submitted in court, as well as audit reports and the reports on the availability of medicines in all Lahore hospitals.

“In one hospital, they did not have a suture kit while conducting an operation,” the chief justice said, adding that instead of spending millions of rupees on television campaigns, the government should spend that money on providing medicines and equipment to public hospitals.

Outlining the SC’s agenda for 2018, Justice Nisar on Wednesday had said that the court would be focusing on human rights issues, particularly those relating to the people’s right to quality education and healthcare.

The SC is already hearing cases regarding provision of clean water in Sindh and Punjab as well as one regarding high fees in Punjab’s medical colleges.

Orignally published by INP

Source:

https://pakobserver.net/cjp-warns-shut-olmt-like-projects-health-education-state-doesnt-improve-scp-fixes-unified-admission-fee-private-medical-colleges/