The board of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved the establishment of a medical college alongside the Capital Hospital, a 500-bed hospital operated by the CDA.

During a board meeting chaired by Captain Retired Noor ul Amin Mengal, the Executive Director of Capital Hospital, Dr. Fazal-e-Mola, presented the agenda for establishing the medical college under the CDA’s umbrella.

Some board members expressed concerns about funding the medical college with CDA’s resources, as it could become an additional liability for the civic authority. After deliberation, it was decided that the college should be established as a private venture with its own financial model.

To pursue this, a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, and CDA Board Member Dr. Muhammad Ali. The committee will explore options to launch a self-sustainable private medical college, alleviating the burden on the CDA. The committee will consider using an existing private limited company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan for this purpose.

The board has granted permission for the medical college to utilize the Arts and Craft Village building near the Pak-China Friendship Centre as a temporary site until a permanent building is constructed. The planning wing has been instructed to hire a consultant for the detailed design and construction supervision of the permanent building.

Executive Director Dr. Fazal-e-Mola confirmed the board’s approval in principle and stated that further decisions would be made by the committee. He assured that the capital hospital meets the requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for establishing a medical college. The college will reserve 5% of its seats for CDA employees, 20% for needy and poor students, and fill the remaining 75% through open merit.

The board also discussed requests from the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Industrial Association of Islamabad for plots to establish various facilities. However, due to existing laws, the board could not allocate plots to private associations. Alternatives were considered, suggesting that plots could be provided by the CDA without allotment, allowing the chamber or association to develop public welfare projects using their own resources. However, a final decision on this matter has not been reached yet.

Source: Pro Pakistani