Lahore (Web Desk): The newly elected executive body of the Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) Punjab formally assumed office at an oath-taking ceremony, with Sabahat Khan elected as president and Usman Anwar as general secretary.
Addressing the ceremony, PAMI Central Chairman Professor Dr Chaudhry Abdul Rahman said that around 70 percent of the country’s medical education sector was being run by private institutions, yet policies concerning the sector were often formulated by people who had never operated a clinic themselves.
He said policymakers lacked a complete understanding of the challenges faced on the ground and stressed that relevant stakeholders must be made part of the policymaking process.
Professor Dr Chaudhry Abdul Rahman said countries were not built on gold, silver or oil but on sound and effective policies.
He said the private medical education sector was ready to comply with government policies, but policymakers must also consider how those decisions could realistically be implemented.
The PAMI chairman called for an end to policymaking behind closed doors and urged the authorities to recognize stakeholders as partners in the process so that more effective decisions could be taken to improve the quality of medical education.
Professor Dr Chaudhry Abdul Rahman further revealed that a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had resulted in an agreement that PAMI should have two representatives on the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). However, he said the relevant file was still moving between offices and the decision had yet to be implemented.
Speaking about tuition fees, he said that medical colleges were frequently questioned about their fee structures, while the rising costs charged by other educational institutions, even at lower levels of education, also needed to be taken into account.
Professor Dr questioned how medical institutions could meet their operational expenses if they were not allowed to charge appropriate fees.
The PAMI chief pointed out that medical colleges had to bear substantial financial obligations, including electricity bills running into millions of rupees, as well as salaries and other expenses related to faculty and institutional operations.
According to him, tuition fees were essential for the survival of these institutions and for ensuring the continuity of the educational system.
Professor Dr Chaudhry Abdul Rahman observed that demand for medical education had not declined, even as schools and colleges were being forced to shut down in other parts of the education sector.
He warned that if these challenges were not addressed, changes to the existing system would eventually become unavoidable.
Professor Dr Chaudhry Abdul Rahmanwelcomed the formation of PAMI Punjab’s new leadership, saying he was pleased to see the provincial chapter united. He noted that PAMI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter had also remained strong, but said the unity demonstrated by the Punjab chapter was particularly encouraging.
During the ceremony, the new PAMI Punjab cabinet was formally elected. Sabahat Khan was chosen as president, Usman Anwar as general secretary, Professor Mian Abdul Rasheed as adviser, Hassan Cheema as treasurer and Professor Mahwish Urooj as joint secretary. Imran Rasool was elected joint secretary for the southern region, while Muhammad Haider Amin was appointed joint secretary for the northern region.
The PAMI chairman congratulated the newly elected office-bearers and expressed confidence that the new Punjab leadership would play an effective role in addressing the challenges confronting the medical education sector.
He also expressed hope that the issues facing the sector would be resolved at the earliest.