Khyber Medical College
KhyberMedicalCollegewas established in 1955 to fulfill the medical needs of theNorth WestFrontierProvince. Before its establishment, students from the province were obliged seek admission in medical colleges in the Punjab andSindagainst limited reserved seats.
The effort to establish the college was spearheaded by the Col. Munawar Khan Afridi, the world-renowned expert in malaria, who after serving in various capacities in the United Nations and in the central government of Pakistan was at the time serving as director of health in KPK. The inaugural class of 44 male and 6 female students was admitted in early October 1955. The classes were started in a building still under construction on the southern fringe of the campus of the Universityof Peshawar. The college was started in a hurry for some very compelling reasons, notably the Director General of Health, Col. S. M. K. Malik. Dr. Malik had publicly stated his opposition to starting a new medical college.
The establishment of a medical college inPeshawarwas opposed by some very influential people in the central government inPeshawarand had indicated that after the establishment of One Unit on October 14, 1955, the college would either be closed or degraded to a diploma (LSMF) school. On that day all four provinces of West Pakistan were merged into one province to be called One Unit orWest Pakistan.
To circumvent this imminent threat to the nascent institution, the provincial legislature of KPK transferred the college to theUniversityofPeshawar. It was the last act of the legislature before it dissolved itself. This was an unprecedented act for there had never been a university-run medical college inPakistan. In the coming years Dr. Afridi would nurture the college in his new position as vice chancellor of theUniversityofPeshawar. The college remained with the university for the duration of One Unit for nine years. At the dissolution of One Unit in 1964, the first act of the newly constituted KPK legislature was to transfer the college back to the provincial government.
It remained under the administrative control of health department after parting way from PeshawarUniversityin 1975. Presently, the college and hospital has been given administrative and financial autonomy by the Government of KPK and is working under the institutional management committee, headed by Chief Executive.
KhyberMedicalCollege is a pioneer institution in KPK in medical education and has created name for itself at national and international level by dedicated work of its staff and students. In fact, it can be proudly called as the mother institution for rest of the medical and dental colleges and other allied medical institution established in KPK over the past twenty five years.
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