KARACHI – An emergent meeting of the Sindh Medical University Alumni Association and Trustees raised concern over the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) bill passed by the Sindh Assembly on February 28.

The meeting said the bill had lacunae under which the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) was not affiliated with the JSMU.
The meeting was held under the chair of Dr Altaf Hashmi while other office-bearers of the Alumni and Trustees including SMU Alumni Association President Dr Shahid Sami, SMU Alumni Association Vice President Dr Azam Khan, SMU Alumni Association General Secretary Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad, and Trustee Dr Shahabullah Khan attended the meeting.
It was discussed in the meeting that according to the ordinance regarding this university signed and issued by Sind governor on 1st June 2012, in the presence of President of Pakistan, the JPMC was attached as teaching hospital with the JSMU.
Recounting the history, the meeting said: “Sindh Medical College was established in 1973 with the efforts of the PMA Karachi and since then the students are trained at the JPMC, National Institute Cardiology Vascular Diseases (NICVD), National Institute of Child Health (NICH). These hospitals were under the administration of Federal Government. But after the 18th amendment these Hospitals came under the control of Sindh Government. It is important to know that a medical college cannot be opened without having teaching hospital. Now after passing this university bill from Sindh Assembly PMDC can cancel the recognition of Sindh Medical College because there is no teaching hospital attached with the Sindh Medical College. There are no teaching and training facilities available at any other Sindh government hospital and there is no faculty in these hospitals. Due to Law and Order situation in Karachi, it is very difficult and unsafe for students to travel long distances to reach their teaching hospital. So Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre could only be the right choice as teaching hospital for the students of Sindh Medical College. Now there should not be any difficulty because both the JPMC and JSMU are run by the Sindh Government after the 18th amendment.”
The participants of the meeting demanded the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat ul Ebad, Sind Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and all the Sindh Assembly members to attach Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre with Jinnah Sindh Medical University, so that the students of SMC could continue their education and training with peace of mind without any difficulty.
AKUH INTRODUCES IEM TESTING SERVICES: The Aga Khan University (AKU) Hospital is organising awareness session about “Inborn Errors of Metabolism” at AKU Auditorium on March 20.
IEM are a group of genetic diseases whereby a defect in the body’s metabolism prevents food from being converted into energy. Most cases present in the pediatric age group.
The AKUH will be the first institute in Pakistan to offer a series of tests to diagnose metabolic diseases.