ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) board has granted approval on Thursday to establish its own medical college alongside the Capital Hospital, a 500-bed facility operated by the CDA using its own resources.
The decision was made during a board meeting chaired by Captain Retired Noor ul Amin Mengal, with the agenda presented by Dr. Fazal-e-Mola, the Executive Director of Capital Hospital.
The Capital Hospital sought permission from the board to establish its own medical college under the CDA’s auspices. However, some board members expressed reservations about funding the medical college using CDA’s resources, citing concerns about the potential liability for the civic authority. After careful consideration, it was decided that the college should be established as a private venture with its own financial model.
To proceed with the establishment of the medical college, the board has formed a committee chaired by the Vice Chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Dr. Muhammad Ali, with Dr. Fazal-e-Mola and Amir Abbas, the Member Administration of CDA, as committee members. It has been revealed that a private limited company of CDA is already registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, which could be utilized for this purpose.
The committee will explore various options to launch a self-sustainable private medical college, alleviating the burden on the CDA. In the interim, the board has authorized the Capital Hospital to utilize the Arts and Craft Village building near the Pak-China Friendship Centre as a temporary site for the college. Additionally, the planning wing has been directed to hire a consultant, in accordance with section 42/F of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Rules 2004, for detailed design and construction supervision of a permanent building for the Capital Medical College in Islamabad.
Dr. Fazal-e-Mola, the Executive Director of Capital Hospital, confirmed that the board has given preliminary approval for the establishment of a medical college, but further decisions will be made by the committee formed for this purpose. He emphasized that the capital hospital meets the requirements set by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for launching a medical college. The medical college will be housed in a 72,000 square-foot building, and the capital hospital is affiliated with Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad. The college will have reserved quotas of 5 percent for CDA employees, 20 percent for needy and poor students, and 75 percent of seats will be filled through open merit.
Furthermore, the CDA board has reviewed several requests from the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Industrial Association of Islamabad regarding plots for multipurpose grounds, hospitals, schools, expo centers, dispensaries, and office secretariats. However, the board has not reached a definitive conclusion as providing plots for these purposes to a private association is not mandated by current laws. A possible solution was discussed, where the CDA could provide plots without formal allotment, allowing the chamber or association to develop public welfare projects using their own resources. However, a final decision has yet to be reached.
(Islamabad51-Newsdesk)
