Governor Pracha Tayrat said the province needed to produce its own doctors because of a persistent lack of medical personnel.

"As we all know, the unrest in the three southernmost provinces has been a major factor in the severe shortage of medical and health personnel in the provinces," he said.

Pracha, who is also a member of the new Princess of Narathiwat University's council, was speaking to reporters after meeting with the Medical Council yesterday. The council declined to comment.

Last week, the council said the university's medical programme had not been certified  cil and should be stopped.

Pracha said the university was very well aware that it would not be capable of teaching medical students on its own in the first few years because of the lack of permanent teachers.

But the nearby Prince of Songkla University's medical school had agreed to assist Princess of Narathiwat by teaching the students for the first four to five years until the new university was ready to conduct medical education on its own.

Pracha said Princess of Narathiwat had the same curriculum as Prince of Songkla, which was certified.

The council is to meet next month to make a decision.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation