Rumours shocked the city that around 300 staff members of Benazir Bhutto Medical College, Lyari, including professors, doctors and clerics, had stopped working on Saturday after they received life threats. But, the academic management denied such reports and termed them "baseless", saying that all staffers were performing their duties as usual.
"We don't know the authenticity of the news reports aired on some private TV channels. However, the academic session will resume on Monday as per schedule," Principal of Benazir Bhutto Medical College, Dr Iqbal Memon, told Business Recorder. He said that the staffer had received no life threats and were ready to resume their jobs from Monday. He added that these rumours were concocted to create panic among college students and its staff members. Lyari Medical College had been touted as gift for the Layrities from President Asif Ali Zardari in recognition of their sacrifices for the restoration of democracy in country.
Seats of the college had been distributed district-wise. Government allocates 15 seats for Lyari Town, 10 Bin Qasim Town, and 10 for Keamari Town. Thirty-three (33) seats are allocated for Karachi district domicile excluding above towns. The college has a faculty including 5 professors, 5 associate professors, 18 assistant professors and 21 demonstrators have been appointed. The enrolment and exams of the first batch will be taken by Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). Sources said that billions of rupees have been approved for the college as well to run the affairs.
They said that project would be expanded to six acres of land linked with facility in order to upgrade the existing facilities and services besides the institution to be made university named after Benazir Bhutto. Total of Rs 50 million had been spent on the rehabilitation of the Lyari General Hospital building to ensure proper education, training and health facilities.
Arrangement was swiftly made to accommodate the first batch of the students in the Ayaz Sammo Nursing School, which was established in hospital vicinity in 1989. Sources told Business Recorder that it was earlier suggested to the authorities concerned that the medical college, once made functional, be integrated with hospital and the nursing institute so that whole compound took the shape of a medical complex.