KEMU MPhil Programme | UHS Computer Lab

KEMU Yet to Hold Part-I Exam of Two-Year MPhil Programme
Lahore, July 03: The King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, has failed to hold part-I examination of two-year MPhil program in 14 disciplines with hardly six months left in completion of duration of the programme after students' enrolment for the 2008-09 session in September 2007.
The KEMU administration has also failed to pay stipend to MPhil students even after 18 months.

The university had offered MPhil program in 14 disciplines i.e. Anatomy, Physiology, Oral Anatomy, Oral Pathology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Haematology, Biochemistry, Clinical Chemistry, Community Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Pharmacology, Physiotherapy and Biostatistics.

It enrolled students in September 2007 and started classes in January 2008. Three to five students were enrolled in each discipline. According to students, the KEMU claimed there had been no admissions to the discipline of Physiology. The Biostatistics course was abandoned after a few months, they said. MPhil students said that the KEMU had never been able to admit students to MPhil courses after first admissions for the session 2008-09. They said the KEMU was required to conduct part-I examination in January 2009 but had failed to do so until now.

They said that the KEMU administration had been dillydallying and that the Examination Branch had told them that it didn't have any record of MPhil students.

Students said that they hadn't been able to start work on synopsis, conduct research or complete dissertation in addition to the fact that even part-I examination could not be conducted with only six months left to complete the two-year course. "The research can be started only after completion of part-I of the PG courses," they said and added the KEMU didn't have any laboratory to conduct research at the postgraduate level.

About the level of research at KEMU, one student said that research opportunities at the university were inadequate and that the university would have to arrange research in some other laboratory in another institution with latest facilities.

Students said the KEMU had not provided stipend to MPhil students during one-and-a-half-years.

They claimed that former vice-chancellor Prof Mumtaz Hasan had assured them that they would get stipend with effect from January 2008. Similarly, they claimed that incumbent Vice-Chancellor Prof Zafarullah Khan had also announced that all PGs would be given stipend along with arrears after the Syndicate meeting.

They said that doctors, who had got admissions to MPhil courses after leaving their jobs, were unable to bear the expenses of their studies.

"Each student has paid Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 as annual fee for the two-year courses," they said and added that MPhil students, except those on deputation, must have been paid Rs 15,000 each, whereas the stipend should also be raised in accordance with the raise in salaries of doctors given by the provincial government.

Students said that the chief minister had also constituted a committee consisting of two MPAs, Dr Amer Aziz, two professors and a student, to sort out the issues of MPhil students of KEMU but, they claimed, the committee had never held its meeting so far.

Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that the Pakistan Medical and the Dental Council (PMDC), through a letter on June 11, 2009, gave permission to conduct examinations of the postgraduate students already enrolled in different postgraduate courses being conducted at King Edward Medical University, Lahore as and when required. Earlier, the KEMU had requested the PMDC on June 3, 2009 to allow one time recognition/registration/permission for different postgraduate courses/programs for students already admitted in connection with conduct of examination.

The PMDC also advised to expedite the required proforma for inspection of postgraduate courses as early as possible. It directed admitting students only to programs recognized and notified under the PM&DC Ordinance 1962 and not otherwise.

When contacted a few days ago before his departure to the US, KEMU Vice Chancellor Prof Zafarullah Khan said that he had inherited certain problems as haphazard admissions were conducted in MPhil program/ courses. He said some students were admitted in September/ October 2007, some in February/March 2008, etc., on the basis of recommendations, which inevitably delayed the part-I examination of MPhil courses. However, he said the KEMU had announced holding MPhil part-I examination in mid-August 2009.

Asked about the non-payment of stipend to the MPhil students, the VC said that there were 352 seats in postgraduate courses of MS, MD, FCPS-II, FRCS, MRCP-II on merit against over 500 PG trainees in the institution.

Besides, he said the KEMU while advertising the posts had clearly mentioned that no stipend and no accommodation was promised. He also rejected students' claim that he had ever promised to give stipend to MPhil students.

He, however, said that despite all this the KEMU had written to the HEC as well as the Punjab government several times to provide funds to the university to enable it to provide stipend to PG students. He said neither the government nor the HEC had provided funds to the university. The News