Daily Times

LARKANA: Despite lapse of four years, the Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (MBBMU’s) Institute of Nursing and Community Health Sciences could not be registered with the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), putting future of more than 200 students at stake.

The MBBMU authorities had floated advertisements for fulfillment of teaching faculty but nobody applied. The building of the institute is still incomplete despite the fact that the authorities concerned have claimed to complete it by August this year.

Meanwhile, registration of Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC) is also at stake despite tall claims of MBBMU, Larkana.

Source said that former MBBMU vice chancellor Prof Akbar Haider Soomro started admissions in both these institutions under haste without acquiring registration from the PNC.

The nursing institute was established in the Chandka Medical College (CMC) but its new building was said to be under construction near Khair Muhammad Areeja village.

According to PNC rules, only a PhD in Nursing can be appointed as principal of a nursing institute, but authorities concerned allegedly appointed non-doctorate degree holder Surayya Nasir as the principal of the institute. Currently, the principal is drawing a salary of Rs 500,000 per month along with other privileges.

According to PNC requirements, it is also imperative for a nursing institute to be equipped with a lecture hall catering to 100 students, an auditorium hall for 300 students, at least four classrooms, common hall, library, cafeteria, six laboratories and seven offices for principal and other staff, but the under-construction building of the institute lacks these facilities.

Their requirements also include a hospital having 20-beds each for surgery, medicine, ENT and dental departments which has also not been constructed in the institute as yet.

The PNC rules also bound a nursing institute to get permission before starting the admission process, but the said institute never started admission process without any approval by the relevant authority.

The PNC had pointed out lack of facilities after its single visit to the insitutue. Sources added that Dr Suhail Aman Jokhio, who is son of Pro-VC, was appointed in the institute in sheer violation of rules.

MBBMU Spokesman Abdul Samad Bhatti told media on Friday that efforts were underway to get the institute registered with the PNC. However, MBBMU VC Prof Ghulam Asghar Channa said that the institute would be registered with the PNC before passing of first batch.