LAHORE: More facts have emerged behind a campaign to discredit a private medical college through media campaigns. According to background interviews with students of Avicenna Medical College, a former student of the college, who was expelled by a college disciplinary committee, gathered a few students of the college on the road and tried to link a student’s death to the college’s strict study and discipline regime. The college has subsequently been absolved of charges by a University of Health Sciences body, sources say.
Regarding the expelled student, it is reported that a meeting of the discipline committee of the college was convened on February 28 after an inter-office notification from the Avicenna Medical College principal on February 24 to hold an inquiry into the circumstances in which the student (name withheld) of MBBS first year was reported for harassment of junior female students and previous three disciplinary cases in the inter office.
The meeting discussed the four incidents, and Chairperson Dr Shandana Sheikh informed the history and background of the student. The committee learned that the student in question was a football player and was the Class Representative of Class of M22 right after admission. He was performing well and managing the class affairs. He went through an accident and broke his leg, due to which he had to let go of his favorite sport. The accident led him towards fear of failure and depression.
The student returned after a recovery period of two months and started performing well academically. He was also under psychiatric treatment. He again started improving academically but then was found involved in four of the above-discussed disciplinary and harassment cases.
The chairman of the Discipline Committee, Prof Dr Khalid Mehmood, informed the committee that the student was earlier enrolled at Liaqat Medical University, Karachi, and had been expelled from the university on disciplinary grounds.
The committee perused all incidents, statements, and responses from the student. He was fined in December 2023, and his referral to the 1st Professional Annual Examination 2023 was withheld due to his poor attendance and performance. He was now due to appear in the supplementary examination. Prof Dr MN Tabassum and Prof Dr Aneela Zareen added that this student, having psychiatric, behavioral, anxiety issues, and an impulsive disorder, may become a threat to his colleagues and patients in the future.
The Discipline Committee, after exhaustive discussion and perusal of all above evidence, decided that the parents of the student be informed of the proceedings of the harassment and Discipline Committee and be recommended to resume his psychiatric treatment with care. The student was also terminated from the college with immediate effect.
College students they had issues with strict fines and other punishment, but at the end of the day, there were forced to attend classes, and lab work and become a professional healthcare professional.
“Any fine which keeps us into studies is not a fine, but a stick which prevents us from going astray,” said a student.