Prof Dr M Yasin Khan Durrani
I am not surprised to know a recently published report in a local daily on 27.2.20 for degrading highly prestigious, and internationally recognized researched journals with impact factor i.e., the journals of PMA, JPMC, PIMS, Aga Khan University and many other renowned universities of Pakistan by HEC. In addition HEC has already downgraded 20 reputed medical journals out of 57 indexed journals on its list. (reference HEC website). In fact, HEC is not a regulatory body for medical profession and Medical Journalism is not the subject in the ambit of HEC’s unlawful ordinance, promulgated by a Military ruler and undemocratic President, Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf.
In fact, there is no mention of the subject of Medical Journalism in the Ordinance and HEC has grabbed the subject at its own, which is against the norms of established rule of Law, simply to secure more funds – billions of rupees which is an extra burden on the national exchequer. In fact, your readers will be surprised to know that the Quality Assurance Department of HEC is comprising of totally unprofessional and non-medical personnel responsible for demoting the journals under the garb of few experts who are particularly not subject specialist to judge the quality of a particular journal.
On the contrary, PMDC is constitutionally a regulatory body for Medical Profession through an enactment approved by Parliament, and has a full-fledged section for Medical Journalism with a large Committee of highly qualified Professors having wider experience of publishing journals of medical institutions. As such, dealing the subject of Medical Journalism by two institutions at the same time appears to be an unnecessary and a lavish activity and a burden on the poor economy of the country. In fact, there is hardly any need for HEC to undertake the subject of Medical Journals in the presence of PMDC/PMC.
Let HEC devote its energies to the deteriorating standard of education in the country, rather interfering unnecessarily in the domain of PMDC. We advise through the esteemed columns of your paper to PMA to knock the doors of Supreme Court to take the suo motu notice of the gross irregularity and to distract HEC to judge the quality of medical journals. The medical fraternity should fully support PMA Centre to consider and to take a legal step in this respect. The President of Pakistan is very much interested in the promotion of Medical Education, we also request him to assign the subject to PMDC/PMC for judging the quality of Medical Journals as globally practiced.
—The writer is Retd Prof of Eye, Rawalpindi Medical University, Recipient of Presidential Scientific Award & Pride of Karachi University.
