Introduction

Medical Education in the Province of Balochistan A Situational analysis

• Bolan Medical College, Quetta was established in the Year 1972
• First batch of the MBBS doctors was produced by the Bolan Medical College in the Year 1978.
• Since then Bolan Medical College has produced more than three thousand MBBS doctors
• In the year 1989 / 1990 the Dental Section of Bolan Medical College was started where initially ten students were admitted annually for BDS Course. Later on the numbers of these students were enhanced to 25.
• Bolan Medical College is enjoying the full recognition of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and is affiliated with the University of Balochistan for the purpose of examination.
• By virtue of its name appearing in the World Directory of Health, the graduates of the Bolan Medical College are taking part in the recognition and postgraduate examination of the overseas countries like USA, UK etc.
• With the passage of time the faculty of Bolan Medical College became stronger and stronger.
• As a result of stronger faculty and better training facilities the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (F.C.P.S) started granting accreditation to different clinical Departments of Bolan Medical College and its attached teaching Hospitals for the Postgraduate training leading to MCPS / DCPS and FCPS Part-II.
• Fully accredited Departments by the CPSC are General Surgery, General Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, pediatric, Medicine, ETN while the other Departments and sub specialists are partially accredited

• Realizing the postgraduate training capacity of Bolan Medical College the Government of Balochistan started Postgraduate Diploma Course in the year 2005 managed by the Directorate of Post Graduate Medical Institution (P.G.M.I) in the specialties of obstetrics / Gynecology, Eye, ENT, Pediatric, Medicine, Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Pathology etc for in service doctors of Balochistan.
• From the next session the postgraduate diplomas in the specialties of Dermatology, Radiology and Chest diseases and Tuberculosis are also to be started.
• The program for the start of Major diploma like MS / MD in different clinical specialties and M.Phil / Ph.D in basis Medicine Sciences are in the pipe line.
• The examinations of all the above diplomas are being given by the University of Balochistan like MBBS.
• The case of recognition of above mentioned postgraduate diplomas have been taken up with the P.M.D.C.
• Institute of Public Health, which was originally the Department of Community Medicine of the Bolan Medical College, Quetta was elevated to the level of Institute for the training of postgraduate Courses in the subject of Community Medicine / Public Health like MPH (Master of Public Health) and in service management trainings.
• With the passage of time the physical infrastructures of Bolan Medical College have also been improved enormously.
• The originally conceived project of College building, Hostel buildings, Bolan Medical Complex Hospital building, Residential Colony and Flats have been completed and are fully operational.
• The land area of Bolan Medical Complex is 129 acres.
• The constructed area includes 542,000 Sft of Hospital Building, 185,000 Sft of College building and 643,000 Sft of Residential accommodations.
• This mounts to a total constructed area of 1,370,000 Sft.
• The Hospital building with a covered area of 542,000 Sft with a capacity of
 674 inpatients
 1000 Outpatients daily
 25 Operation Theaters

• The College, with a covered area of 185,000 SFT, gives admission to 153 students annually.
• The College has also well equipped Laboratories in the Filed of Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Pathology.
• A well planned dissection Hall under the supervision of skilled and trained staff is available for students use.
• The museums in Anatomy and Pathology are one of the best among the Medical College of Pakistan.
• The College has a Library with a capacity for 100 students, with a separate silent zone as well
• The Library has up to
 8,250 Medical Reference Books
 429 Islamic and general Books
 12 Encyclopedias and
 1285 Medical Journals
• The post graduate Library situated in the premises of Sandeman
Provincial Teaching Hospital also have thousands of Books and peaceful reading environment.
• There are four teaching Hospitals attached with the Bolan Medical College catering the practical training needs of the undergraduate and postgraduate students of all specialties.

 Bolan Medical Complex Hospital,Quetta
 Sandeman Provincial Teaching Hospital Quetta
 Helper Eye Hospital Quetta (only for specialty of Ophthalmology)
 Fatima Jinnah Hospital for Chest diseases (only for the specialty of Chest diseases and Tuberculosis.

• There are 32 different specialties / Departments present in Bolan Medical College, Quetta. Almost Ten specialties / Departments are having more than one and maximally four units.
• Almost every specialty / Department and its further Units are headed by a Professor (B-20).
• Beside Professor in every Department and Unit there are more than one Associate, Assistant Professor, Senior Registrar, / Senior lecturers in a nut shell the Bolan Medical College of today is catering the training in

 Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education (MBBS and BDS) through Principal Bolan Medical College, Quetta.
 Postgraduate minor and major diplomas of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan.
 Postgraduate diploma courses of the University of Balochistan indifferent Clinical Sciences through directorate of PGMI.
 Post graduate diploma courses of Community Medicine / Public Health through Institute of Public Health.

• And this College has all the potentials to be elevated to the status of University with the name :
“University of Health Sciences Balochistan Quetta”
OR
“Bolan Medical University, Quetta”.
OR
“University of Health & Biological Sciences”

Through making the following as constituents of this University.

 Bolan Medical College, Quetta
 Dental Section of Bolan Medical College, Quetta
 Directorate of PGMI, Quetta
 Institute of Public Health Quetta.

• The up gradation of above Institute of under and postgraduate Medical Education into University of Medical Education would Provide :-

 Planning financial and administrative autonomy for the expansion of the Medical Nursing and Para-Medical Sciences.
 All types of Medical, Nursing and Para Medical Education under One roof thus providing the better chances of coordination.
 Uniform method of evaluation / examination for all type of Medical, Nursing and Para-Medical Education.
 The opportunity for development of the modern evaluation / examination system
 Opportunities to develop the different research Projects and request for the funding from the Higher Education Commission
 Better utilization of the teaching faculty which will improve the standards of education and training.
 Chances of competition among the faculty members which will improve their academic stature and financial position.
• Elevation of present system of Medical Education in to the University of Medical education would require :-

 Preparation of the feasibility report of the project
 Approval of the Project and feasibility report by the HEC and Provincial Education Department.
 Approval of carefully drafted legislation which will grant the charter of University to the present system of medical education.
 The legislation should further provide the handing over of the assets and employees presently held by the constituent institutes (BMC, Dental Section, PGMI and IPH) to the proposed University along with the annual recurrent funding of thee institutes and provision of increasing these funds annually according to the needs.
 The legislation should further provide the fool proof mechanism of the management of the attached teaching Hospitals so that in future teaching / training activities and health care delivery activities should not clash with each other. The designs of other Provinces can be adopted
 Establishment of the University will further require the arrangements of the funds

i) To raise the administrative block of the proposed University including the offices of the Vice Chancellor, registrar etc.
ii) To establish the Department of Examination including the office controller etc
iii) To establish the office of the Treasures etc.
iv) To arrange the funds for bearing the cost of human resource in the newly established Department alongwith its annual recurrent cost.

• In the last but not the least on honest and dedicated team would be required to implement this Project and take the role of founding fathers.
• Expectation from the team and its leading would be :

 Suggest appropriate legislation non-questionable in future from every respect.
 To take the responsibility of drafting the statutes , Rules and Regulations of the University after its formation so the University can take smooth flight
 To recommend the utilization of funds for establishment of the proposed Departments according to design which could serve the purpose.
 To study the designs of all the best Universities on the national level and if possible on international level and implement the best possible designs in the proposed University.