Daily Times

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday directed private medical colleges to charge no more than Rs640,000 in fees from students admitted in their degree programmes.

The CJP was hearing a suo moto case pertaining to exorbitant fees charged by private medical colleges and the lack of a uniform admissions policy at Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.

During the proceedings, the CJP expressed displeasure over deteriorating standards of medical education and inflated fee structure. He said aspirants from modest background should be able to afford medical education.

The chief justice also took notice of private practice by doctors on government’s payroll. He said government doctors must refrain from operating private clinics, and instead serve the public.

In the suo motu case pertaining to the condition of government hospitals in Lahore, the CJP issued a warning to the Punjab government, saying that he would suspend work on development projects, including the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), if no initiative was taken to improve healthcare and education facilities.

The CJP directed medical superintendents of various hospitals present on the occasion to submit comprehensive reports on the state of these facilities, along with affidavits. He observed that the Apex court had taken notice of conditions at public sector hospitals to ensure improvements in healthcare facilities. He directed all medical superintendents to hold meetings and submit SOPs, saying that the court wanted to support them and not to discourage them. Referring to the provincial government’s advertisements of its various healthcare initiatives, the chief justice said millions were being spent on advertisements when these funds should instead be used on provision of services.

The Apex court also banned the Young Doctors Association (YDA) from going on strikes at public hospitals. “If young doctors have any complaints, they should approach the court for their solutions,” Justice Nisar said.

In another case, the CJP prohibited dairy farmers from injecting hormones into cows and buffaloes to increase milk production. He said packaged milk too was unfit for consumption because the material used in packaging contained formalin chemical, which was extremely dangerous for human health. The CJP ordered companies producing tea whiteners to state on the packaging that their product was not a substitute for milk. The case was adjourned for two weeks.

Published in Daily Times, January 7^th 2018.