Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, the first ever public-sector medical university in the country, is trying to prove a point
IT was Allama I.I. Qazi who shifted the University of Sindh from Hyderabad to the hilly terrains of Jamshoro in 1963. After crossing the Jamshoro Toll Plaza, coming from Karachi to Hyderabad, one passes three universities. The first one is the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, then University of Sindh and the recently upgraded Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.
LUMHS (Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences) is regarded as the first seat of medical learning in Sindh because it started as medical school in Civil Hospital Hyderabad in 1881. Upon separation of Sindh from Bombay, this school was upgraded to a medical college in 1941 by the recommendations of Indian Medical Council. Sindh Medical College (SMC) of that time had an enrolment of 45 students, including one female Muslim student. SMC was affiliated with University of Bombay. SMC was changed to Dow Medical University in 1945 and was shifted from Hyderabad to Karachi.
A new medical college was needed for the interior of Sindh and keeping this need in mind, the Government of Sindh established a medical college called Liaquat Medical College (LMC) in 1951. This college offered a degree of MBBS and its first batch graduated in 1956. In 1963, a new undergraduate course in dentistry (BDS), perhaps the first in Sindh, was started. In the same year, postgraduate and diploma degree course was recognized by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
This university has played a vital role in catering to the medical educational needs of all of Sindh, including Karachi. In 1965, the Atomic Energy Medical Centre and nursing school was established. LUMHS, formerly LMC, has played a significant role in the establishment of the People’s Medical College for girls at Nawabshah and Chandka Medical College at Larkana.
In 1998, Federal Education Policy envisaged to establish a medical university in each province. In Sindh, Liaquat Medical College was identified as suitable for an upgrade. Mohammadmian Soomro, the Governor of Sindh at that time, officially announced this upgrade on February 4, in 1998, at the convocation of LMC. The Sindh cabinet approved this upgrade of Liaquat Medical College on December 6, 2000. Soon after the inspection of the University of Sindh and upon upgrading it defoliated all the medical colleges in 2001.
LUMHS appointed its registrar and controller of examinations and a new era of implementing the standard establishment started. A heavy load came upon the shoulders of the administration, particularly on the first vice-chancellor to prove to the authorities that the decision was not wrong. The last principal and first vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Jan Mohammad A. Memon, applied his efforts towards improving the conditions at the university and its standards. He is not only a good surgeon but an expert administrator. It is a gigantic task to handle affairs of a newly upgraded university and to establish an examination system, but Professor Jan Mohammad A. Memon is a determined person who leaves no stone unturned in making dreams come true.
He describes the hardships faced by the newly-established medical university: “We are working in very difficult conditions. Expenditures are more than the grants. For instance, for the year 2004-05, the budgetary requirement was Rs265 million against the Rs219 million grant that we had, which also included 56 million self-generated income. Hence, there was a clear deficit of Rs46 million. When it was a college, this amount was sufficient, but being a medical university we have to upgrade our infrastructure, research facilities and have to acquire high level academics. This can only be done if government and donor agencies extend their helping hands.”
The new development projects approved include: Establishment of Molecular Biology Department, capacity building of multi- purpose basic medical sciences laboratory, establishment of forensic medicine and toxicology laboratory, 4. Establishment of Institute of Nursing at LUMHS.
There any other projects too in the pipeline which are: hostel for visiting foreign faculty members, housing scheme for employees of LUMHS, establishment of training and research centre for paediatrics and neonatal surgery department are pending with HEC (Higher Education Commission) for approval.
LUMHS, in collaboration with HEC, is engaged in 38 research projects. Moreover LUMHS has collaborations with many foreign medical institutions such as North Wick Park Hospital, London, Whipp’s Cross Hospital UK, King’s College Hospital, London, and many others.
These days, community work is given prime importance at LUMHS. Teams of doctors attended free medical camps at Johi, Badin, Mehar and Sehwan Sharif, during out breaks of leishmaniasis and cerebral malaria. The University conducted research on water samples taken from different locations of Hyderabad and detected these samples as contaminated. After this detection clinical teams were organized for treatment and for public awareness programmes.
Describing the future vision of LUMHS, Professor Memon says: “The future of this university is bright as we have more space now, about 500 acres of lands for extension of faculties. We are on our way to introduce disciplines of tele-medicines, bio- medical engineering and eastern medicines. When people have their hard work appreciated and honoured, they tend to work harder and with more enthusiasm. Therefore, we are offering best Teacher and Best Researcher Award each year, and we are trying to induct faculty members as per Higher Education Commission (HEC) requirements. We will need more land for which, we hope, the Government of Sindh would help.”
Professor Memon is ambitious as far as his plans for the university are concerned. One foresees a bright future for the place as there is a marked improvement in its academic system and less political interference, with students not so politically volatile as earlier.
IT was Allama I.I. Qazi who shifted the University of Sindh from Hyderabad to the hilly terrains of Jamshoro in 1963. After crossing the Jamshoro Toll Plaza, coming from Karachi to Hyderabad, one passes three universities. The first one is the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, then University of Sindh and the recently upgraded Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.
This university has played a vital role in catering to the medical educational needs of all of Sindh, including Karachi. In 1965, the Atomic Energy Medical Centre and nursing school was established. LUMHS, formerly LMC, has played a significant role in the establishment of the People’s Medical College for girls at Nawabshah and Chandka Medical College at Larkana.
There any other projects too in the pipeline which are: hostel for visiting foreign faculty members, housing scheme for employees of LUMHS, establishment of training and research centre for paediatrics and neonatal surgery department are pending with HEC (Higher Education Commission) for approval.
