Rs697m budgetary proposals for Dow varsity approved
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Sept 25: The Dow University of Health Sciences syndicate in its first ever meeting approved the budgetary proposals costing Rs697 million for the year 2004-05.
The body also decided to name the proposed institute of oral health science at the Sindh Medical College (SMC) premises after the name of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan for his tremendous contribution towards the establishment of DUHS. All actions taken by the vice-chancellor since the establishment of the university were also approved by the syndicate.
Briefing the media men after the syndicate meeting, which was convened about nine months after the inception of the university, Vice-chancellor Dr Masood Hameed Khan said that some of the development funds were already being provided by the Higher Education Commission, while the recurring expenditures during the fiscal year would be met out from the seed money already provided by the Sindh government.
He said that the annual grant from the Higher Education Commission could not ensured for the current year as the required documentation could not be done in time by the new university. The syndicate also resolved to increase the transport allowances given to faculty members, he added, saying that formula for enhancement would be finalized later.
Establishment of an endowment fund for the university was also approved during the meeting, he said, adding that the fund would be managed by a board of investment. He further said that some professors had already contributed towards the fund, while the syndicate decided to donate Rs10 million available as the seed-money from the Sindh government.
He informed the newsmen that the syndicate also discussed the ongoing construction at the Dow Medical College and decided that the front walls of the new building along Baba-i-Urdu Road would be built with stones. Award of 10 scholarships on merit-cum-need basis among students studying in different professional years of the DMC and the SMC from the current year was also approved at the meeting, he added.
The syndicate meeting, which was attended by all of its existing members, nominated Prof Abdul Ghaffar Billo and Akhtar Mehdi Bilgrami as members of university's selection board. The meeting decided that the vice-chancellor would represent the university in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council in future. It was also decided that the clinical staff of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Cardio-vascular Diseases and NICH which were involved in teaching SMC students would be considered as honorary faculty members.
Dr Masood Hameed said that the syndicate agreed to appoint senior persons of different units as chairperson of their respective departments. In case of non-availability of professors, the senior among the available teachers would be made in charge of the departments.
On the recommendations of the academic council, the syndicate also approved the establishment of the departments in physical medicines and rehabilitation, chest medicine, chest surgery and microbiology at the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD) and other units of the university.
The vice-chancellor said that in case of chest medicine and chest surgery departments the infrastructure was available and appointment of faculty was needed.
He said that five institutes for biomedical engineering, basic medical science, oral health science, training in nursing and paramedic education had also been approved by the syndicate, while funding would be made by the Higher Education Commission.
Dr Masood Hameed said that the university was in the process of submitting a number of projects pertaining to the faculty and infrastructure development for HEC financing in phases. These projects would be completed within three to five years, he added.
About the university budget for the year, the university registrar, Dr Meher F. Hansotia, said that Rs273.76 million had been allocated for the salary and allowances, including Rs71 million for university employees and its three constituent units, Rs82 million for DMC, Rs53 million for SMC, and Rs66 million for the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases. A substantial amount has also been allocated for scholarships to students, he added.
