MARDAN:May 19: Speaking at the Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) after inaugurating the Dentistry Department, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti on Friday said the Awami National Party-led provincial government had set up seven universities over the last four years.
BKMC Principal Prof Dr Ziaul Islam and Dr Umar Khitab, in charge Dentistry Department, also spoke on the occasion.Senior government officials, political activists and notables of the area were present on the occasion.
Haider Hoti said militancy could be countered through education. “It is a great honour for us that today the youth from Mardan and other parts of the province are studying at the Abdul Wali Khan University and Bacha Khan Medical College,” he added.
He said the government was aware of the shortage of doctors and paramedics at the hospitals in the province and had appointed 480 doctors in different health facilities. The chief minister said another 500 doctors would soon be appointed to meet the shortage.

The chief minister said work on the Benazir Shaheed Children Hospital in Mardan was in progress.In response to a proposal by Dr Ziaul Islam, he announced allocation of five seats in BKMC for the students belonging to the tribal areas.

Dr Ziaul Islam, who is a known ophthalmologist, pointed out that BKMC had managed to set up its dentistry department within two years after commissioning of the college in Mardan. In comparison, he said the Khyber Medical College’s dentistry section was commissioned 10 years later and the one in Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad after 21 years.

The BKMC’s dentistry unit has already admitted 25 students, including five on self-finance basis. With the chief minister’s announcement that five seats in the dentistry section would be reserved for students from Fata, the strength of the students would rise to 30.
Dr Ziaul Islam said the BKMC had made great strides in a record time by getting affiliated with the Khyber Medical University and receiving recognition for postgraduate training at its teaching hospital.The news.