Daily Times

LAHORE: For the first time in the history of Punjab, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department has devised a centralised Post Graduate Induction System based on merit to facilitate doctors that are desiring to seek training in teaching hospitals across Punjab.

The policy has been devised to end the blackmailing of medics and keeping in view the needs of improve healthcare standards. Admissions shall be made through Centralised Admission Test (CAT) by the Joint Admission Commission (JAC) once a year for entrance into MD/MDS Programmes.

One of the major reasons behind evolution of this policy was that the deserving candidates were being ignored and a mafia was accommodating ‘blue-eyed’ applicants by pressurising the heads of institutes. Now every candidate shall have to join his/her place of induction for training in accordance with the new merit formula whether his/her institute falls in south Punjab or other city.

There shall be no test for candidates who already passed FCPS Part-I and aspiring for induction as PG trainee for FCPS –II. There shall be merit determination formula for the candidates (Academic and Experience Marks 50+ Examination Marks 35=85 marks).

According to the policy, the stipendiary PG trainee seats allocated by the government shall exclusively be reserved for private candidates only. No in-service doctor (government servant) shall be adjusted against these seats.

The in-service employees shall also apply through the new system. If selected on merit through matching system, they shall be admitted against the only deputation seats reserved at Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI), University of Health Sciences (UHS) and King Edward Medical University (KEMU) as per merit. However, where no deputation seats are allocated, the in-service candidates shall be placed according to the merit as determined by the JAC through central matching system.

The government employees eligible and wishing to pursue PG training along with salary from the government are required to complete two years government service on credit with Primary and Secondary Healthcare and SHC& ME Departments.

The health department would highlight the total number of PG slots in each institute as per need. Under the new policy, every institute shall forward details of vacant slots to the department. One advertisement shall be published to seek applications. Each candidate requiring induction must mention the choice of institute and specialty he/she wishes to take up.

All the graduates must fulfill eligibility criteria with basic medical qualification of MBBS/BDS or equivalent medical qualification recognised by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) along with certificate of one year’s ‘house job’ experience.

There would be no admission on honorary basis except those allocated by the government and widely advertised. However, the candidates admitted through old scheme are allowed to complete their remaining period of training. No institution shall be allowed to grant admission to any candidate in any course in violation of this policy. The candidates from other provinces/foreign countries shall be admitted against quota seats reserved by the government at 3% of the total allocated seats, at each university/institution.

Migration/re-registration and induction for private institute trainees at public sector institutions shall not be allowed at any stage. However, public institute trainees shall be allowed to change supervisor by the respective head/principal of institution subject to fulfillment requirements, and availability of paid slot only after one year of training. The case shall be presented before the hardship committee once a year for approval.

Applicants already pursuing training or registered for training at any institute shall not be eligible to apply for fresh induction at other or same institute and they may be excluded from the merit list. If any applicant is found to have concealed earlier registration or training at the time of induction and subsequently identified, his/her enrollment /induction shall stand cancelled without any notice.

The candidate shall opt for the sub-specialty at the time of submission of application for PG training. The trainees inducted for two years preliminary training shall be automatically shifted to the sub-specialties/departments of the same institute for final three years training without any procedural formality subject to availability of slot. Induction of PG trainee shall be carried out against all programmes offered by the government subject to accreditation and recognition by PMDC. Admission and induction against unrecognised and unaccredited programmes by PMDC is not allowed. In case of induction against un-recognised programmes, the concerned head of institute shall be held responsible and shall be preceded under disciplinary rules.