UHS stops medical colleges from imposing fines on students

Lahore: The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has prohibited medical colleges from imposing fines on their students without prior approval from the varsity. This new policy applies to all medical colleges in Punjab, both public and private. Specifically, it aims to prevent the excessive penalization of students in private medical colleges for trivial transgressions such as absences. Additionally, quarterly parent-teacher meetings have been made mandatory in medical and dental colleges to ensure better discipline.

These decisions were taken on Wednesday during the 37th meeting of the UHS Academic Council, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore. The meeting was attended by heads of affiliated medical colleges and other institutions.

In his address, Professor Rathore emphasized that colleges should reduce their reliance on student clerks, urging faculty members to take responsibility for addressing student issues. The Academic Council decided that medical students will be allowed 18 days of leave per year. Any additional leave will require the students to attend extra classes. Policies regarding student discipline and attendance will also be clearly outlined in the colleges' prospectuses.

Professor Rathore highlighted that some colleges have been imposing heavy fines on students for minor infractions, which burden the parents rather than the students. He instructed that no student should be penalized without informing the university first. The members decided that colleges cannot suspend or expel students without prior approval from the university.

It was also resolved that freezing of academic programs will not affect any examinations held during that period. Exams will proceed as scheduled, and the candidates' attempts will be counted as per rules and regulations.

The Academic Council urged private medical colleges to establish scholarship policies for financially needy students, with a UHS member included in the scholarship committee to ensure transparency. Professor Rathore noted that, according to PMDC policy, private colleges are required to allocate a specified number of free beds in their hospitals. To manage patient overflow, private teaching hospitals will enter into agreements with nearby government hospitals, transferring patients when necessary. The Punjab government is currently formulating policies and procedures in this regard, he apprised.

Members were also informed about the introduction of the UHS Summer School, which will train medical students in various techniques during their summer vacation. Additionally, Dr. Huma Saeed Khan, Head of the Department of Physiology, was nominated as a new member of the UHS Advanced Studies and Research Board. The council also approved the curriculum for MS Vitro Retinal Ophthalmology and the revised curriculum for MS Neurosurgery. Moreover, they approved a minimum attendance requirement of 85% for certificate and diploma programs, aligning them with the university’s degree programs.