Last week, a 4th year medical student, Mahnoor Nadeem, left the world because of heart failure. Apparently it seems like a natural death, but her demise reveals the disgusting facts about Avicenna College.
Avicenna Medical College, namely an institute for medical aspirants to learn and grow, turns out to be a torturous cell. A place where medical students are treated like trash, their self-respect, mental and physical health, and financial condition are crushed by Abdul Waheed Sheikh, principal of Avicenna Medical College.
The death of Mahnoor Nadeem reveals the horrors of Avicenna Medical College. Where verbal abuse is common, no mobile phones are allowed, and you will be made to sit on the floor for 4 hours as a punishment for failing the test.
A video went viral on social media where Abdul Waheed Sheikh was seen cutting the shirt of a student because it was not tucked in properly. A place where a teacher with a history of harassing students is defended. Professor M.N. Tabassum was expelled from King Edward Medical College because of a harassment case, and at Avicenna College, his deeds remain the same and no one stops him.
Avicenna Medical College finds pleasure in students’ misery; a student was not even allowed sick leave. Mahnoor Nadeem also came for sick leave, but it was denied. If her request was answered timely, the daughter of family and doctor of the nation could be saved.
Abdul Waheed Sheikh has his whole team to conduct these heinous acts. His daughters, Shandana Sheikh and Fazilda Sheikh, the former one is responsible for approving leaves, and the latter manages students financial circumstances. Like father like daughters, shandana sheikhs never approved a leave, even for genuine reasons, and fazilda sheikhs, instead of accommodating students financially, imposed heavy fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to 90,000 on minor misconducts.
The question arises: why have these things never come to light?
Students are not allowed to carry mobile phones with cameras on college premises. In this way, they have no proof of their wrongdoing. Also, any postage and heavy fines will be imposed on students, and they threaten the students to not give them a roll-no-slip for final exams.
It took us the death of Mahnoor Nadeem to realize all these things. Before Mahnoor’s death, two suicide cases also happened at Avicenna Medical College.
Protest of Medical Students
On April 29, 2024, Avicenna Medical College students and other medical students decided to fight for their rights. They had carried out a marvelous protest against all this misconduct. In the protest, students can be seen chanting different slogans, such as “Justice for Mahnoor Nadeem” and many more.
Later on, the protest became a success, and the University of Health Sciences (UHS) took notice of this verbal and physical abuse. The vice chancellor, Ahsan Waheed, issued the letter to every public and private medical college.
“It is our duty to ensure the holistic well-being of our students, particularly in light of the demanding nature of professional education in the medical and dental fields,” reads a letter issued by the Vice Chancellor to all the 12 public and 44 private medical institutes in Punjab.
“I am writing to emphasize the importance of paying special attention to the psychological well-being of our students. The rigors of professional education can often take a toll on their mental health, and it is imperative that we provide them with the necessary support and guidance to navigate through these challenges successfully,” reads the letter.
Along with that, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council directed the Avicenna Medical College to submit the response within 72 hours.
“The PMDC, as the apex regulatory body for medical and dental education in Pakistan, is deeply saddened by the loss of a promising medical student and extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this unfortunate incident.
“In line with its commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and patient care, the PMDC has initiated a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts surrounding the incident,” the statement issued by the council.
PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj stated, “We are deeply concerned about the circumstances leading to the untimely demise of a medical student and are committed to ensuring that justice is served. The welfare and well-being of students are of paramount importance to us, and any form of misconduct or mistreatment will not be tolerated.”
He also said that Manhoor’s family is welcome to file a complaint against this.
Avicenna Medical College Response
Abdul Sheikh Waheed addresses the protestors and makes promises to resolve their issues. Either they are real or fake, only time will tell. He issued a notification that had the following main points:
- Professor Dr. Masood Nizam Tabassum will not be involved in any sort of teaching or academic activity.
- Fines will be withdrawn.
- The leave policy will be according to UHS.
- Pink List (4-hour sitting punishment on the floor) and other detentions are also withdrawn.
While he also guaranteed that students mental well-being would also be considered from now on,.
CONCLUSION
An institute is meant for education, not traumatizing the students. The world is revolutionizing, but we are still lacking in some basic manners. Whatever the excuse Abdul Waheed Sheikh made that these are done for students betterment, nothing that concerns their mental health should be eradicated from the college.
Read More: Heart Transplant Of A Pakistani Girl: From Karachi To Chennai.
