'Teaching by non-doctors to impact medical education'.

Byline: Ashfaq Yusufzai

PESHAWAR -- The decision taken by Pakistan Medical Commission allowing non-doctors to teach basic medical sciences in medical colleges will adversely affect medical education, the association of teachers has warned.

The association said that it would prove disastrous for the medical profession as generations would be treated by substandard graduates to be produced under the present regulations announced by the council of PMC.

'We demand the PMC to revoke the decision and save medical education from being affected as non-medical people cannot teach basic medical sciences (BMS) to the satisfaction of the students,' said members of Basic Medical Science Association Pakistan in a letter sent to PMC on January 14.

The letter entitled 'Grievance against PMC's decision allowing non-medical teachers to teach in medical and dental colleges of Pakistan,' described the move as dangerous because it said that teachers with medical background could teach medical students well.

Association of teachers asks PMC to revoke decision of allowing non-medics to teach basic medical sciences

The letter said that the ordinance under which PMC was established had sought to devise uniform standard of basic and higher medical education, training and recognition of qualifications in medicine and dentistry but it was unfortunate that the present commission revoked the steps taken by the previous council regarding setting standard for private and public sector medical institutions.

The commission, it said, had taken basic measures contradictory to the basic philosophy that tended to impact medical education.

The now-defunct former council had defined criteria for recruitment of teachers of clinical and basic medical sciences. These standards kept refining with the passing of time but PMC abolished the criteria and allowed hiring the services of non-medics for teaching at medical institutions regardless of their qualifications and teaching experience.

The move approved at the PMC's meeting held on November 3 was fraught to serious flaws, said the letter.

Significantly, Lt Gen Khawar Rehman, the Surgeon General of Pakistan Medical Core of Pakistan Army, who was a member of the PMC council had voted against the move in an email.

The association pointed out that all degree courses, such as engineering, agriculture and pharmacy etc...