ISLAMABAD: For Madeeha Hasan, a fourth year student at the Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC), the last four years have been coloured by uncertainty regarding how much longer her college will remain functional. This Wednesday, however, Hasan took in the rapid improvements taking place at her college with a sigh of relief.

`FMDC has been ranked in the `A` category by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and faculty members have been appointed. Students now have access to college facilities, research worl( and a library.` Hasan told Dawn at the inaugural ceremony of the digital library at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), also known as Pims.

FMDC is the constituent body at the SZABMU, so FMDC students now have access to over 10,000 texts and 17,000 journals.

`I belong to the pioneer batch from 2012. There were so many uncertainties, but Fm relieved now because it seems likethe university will remain open,` she said.

Hafiz Khizar, a first year student, also saw his fair share of uncertainty when he was denied admission after a ban imposed by the PMDC due to the lacl( of facilities offered by the college.

`Classes have finally started, and we finally have a college environment. There are still issues, such as the need for better buildings and lecture halls, but hopefully they too will be resolved,` Khizar said.

Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) minister Usman Ibrahim, who inaugurated the library, said that these difficulties are a part of life.

`I too faced difficulties, and even lost an election, but I not only won the next election but also became minister.

Students need to know that they will only be successful if they face their difficulties with patience,` Ibrahim said.

Talking about Pims, Ibrahim said that he was aware of the massive workload and dearth of funding for the hospital. He assured the hospital employees that they would continue to be listed as civil servants.

Hospital employees recently went on strike for almost two weeks due to fears that they would be relegated to employees of the university, which is an autonomous body.CADD Secretary Khalif Hanif said that institutions evolve with the passage of time. `The digial library should be linked with the Higher Education Commission and National Library,` he added.

SZABMU Vice Chancellor Dr. Javed Akram said that the library would greatly benefit students. `The library, which cost Rs.6 million, features 3,500 books for nurses and 4,500 books for paramedics, he said.

He added that, `Three months ago, when FMDC was made a constituent body of Pims, students were on the roads. Now most of the issues have been resolved and the remaining will be soon.

`Now it is the students` job to focus on their studies and become good doctors and good human beings. I expect that in the future, students will not strike as strikes ultimately cause patients suffering,` he said.

Dr. Akram said that as many as 19 PC-I from Pims have been approved and Pims will get Rs. 32 billion in funding within the next two to three years.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has donated to the hospital and increased its funding significantly, he said.

Pims Administrator Dr. Altaf Hussain said that the university`s public health department has been bridging gaps, and that research work has now begun.