Subsequent to the 18th amendment to the constitution, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education at the federal level have ceased to exist because it was thought that health and education are only provincial subjects. The very fact that all provinces were having their own Ministries of Education and Health and were independent in the employment, promotions, and transfers of doctors and teachers as well as for the development and expansion of educational and health facilities, seems to have been disregarded.
After passing of the 18th amendment, the first axe fell on the Higher Education Commission. It is to the moral courage of all vice chancellors of all universities whether private or public who stood up against the dissolution of the HEC. Luckily for us, despite the campaign against the chairman of the commission, the commission itself has survived. The Ministry of Education at the federal level looked after a number of institutions directly under control of the federal government inside and outside of Pakistan.
The Ministry of Health looked after some prestigious institutions where there is a lot of discontentment these days. It also looked after international cooperation in the field of health as well as supervised the functioning of medical, dental, nursing, and pharmaceutical organizations and institutions: a point which has now been entrusted to the Ministry of Standards and Services. I appeal to the present MNAs majority of who have proper degrees to please revive the Ministries of Health and Education at the federal level.
PROF. DR. KHALID HASSAN
MAHMOOD,
Karachi, July 24.