Future of students at Dentistry Department of BKMC at stake

Non-inspection by PMDC

PESHAWAR: The cold-shouldered response of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the alleged negative role being played by some vested elements has put the future of students of the Dentistry Department of the Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) at stake.

There has been widespread feeling that PMDC had constantly avoided inspection of the Dentistry Department at the BKMC Mardan at the behest of some influential elements in the health sector to stop the Dental Department from being recognised.

The Dentistry Department was established in January 2012 and 23 students are presently studying in the final year there.Senior officials at the provincial Health Department told The News that soon after establishing the Dental Department the BKMC administration had written several letters to PMDC to inspect the department for its recognition.

“Some powerful people used their influence and prevented PMDC from inspection of the department as they didn’t want it to be recognised,” said an official pleading anonymity.

He said some people were afraid that if the Dentistry Department was recognised it would apply to become a full-fledged dental college and cause loss to their dental colleges.

He said 30 students were initially enrolled in the Dental Department, but some of them later shifted to other dental colleges and only 23 students remained there and reached the final year.

According to official sources, it was one of the few dental departments in the public and private sector that met the criteria of the PMDC for recognition.

“In the meantime, PMDC team visited the department, but citing some minor deficiencies refused to recognise it. However, they appreciated its facilities and promised to return for an inspection soon,” the official said. He added they never came again despite repeated reminders by the BKMC administration.

He said it was the only department that had qualified faculty members for all the specialties in dentistry.“There are 20 members of the teaching staff, including a professor, associate professor, assistant professor and 35 lecturers and demonstrators in the Dentistry Department. Some people don’t have strong faculty in dental colleges, but they have been recognised by the PMDC due to their influence,” maintained a high ranking official in the Health Department.

He claimed that some dental colleges in public and private sector were being run with the help of four or five member faculty, but were duly recognised.

He said most dental colleges were operating in rented buildings and didn’t meet the criteria required for recognition by the PMDC. The Dentistry Department in BKMC was not the first department that started classes before seeking permission from PMDC.

The Bannu Medical College had even prepared its first batch, but was not recognised by the PMDC. When the students of the college and their parents staged protests, the PMDC recognised the college, though it had not overcome some of its major deficiencies.According to sources, 70 percent of the Dentistry Department had been accommodated in the BKMC and 30 percent is operating in rented building.

After its establishment, 34,125 patients had been examined and 800 major surgeries done at the 10-bedded dentistry department till December 2015.Interestingly, PMDC had not recognised the Dentistry Department but the College of Physicians and Surgeons recognise its two specialties, Prosthodontics and Oral Maxillofacial, for postgraduate training and sent 18 trainee medical officers (TMOs) there.

When contacted, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Shahram Tarakai said he would personally speak to federal Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar to save the precious time of the students.“The students don’t need to worry. The issue would be resolved peacefully,” he said.