LAHORE: The country lost one of its leading psychiatrists Professor Dr Malik Hussain Mubbashar this week.

Born in Dec 8, 1947, in Lahore’s Mohallah Chabik Sawaran near Masjid Wazir Khan, Prof Mubbashar did his matriculation from the Central Model School and FSc from Government College (University), Lahore, before entering the King Edward Medical College (University). Subsequently, he left for London for post-graduation and served in the Guy’s Hospital London as first Asian psychiatrist.

A fellow of Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh and London and triple MRCP from the UK, he played a vital role in formation and advancement of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Mental Health Research and Training at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi on his return to the country in 1972. He established a department of psychiatry at the hospital, which was later upgraded into the Institute of Psychiatry. He started this department under a tree with only a chair and table available for him.

Dr Mubbashar was instrumental in the development of the first public sector health university — the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore. The UHS under his command (2003-12) had to meet stiff opposition in its infancy from those having vested interests. However, relentless efforts by him succeeded in putting the university on solid foundations.

Dr Mubbashar had more than 100 publications in national and international journals to his credit besides 28 books. In recognition of his services, the Pakistan government awarded him Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

Although people knew him as a specialist in the fields of psychiatry and medical education, he was also quite adept in art, literature, poetry, Sufism, architecture, economy, and politics. He had a flare for writing also. In 2017, Prof Mubbashar authored his autobiography,Meem-Bashar,in which he also talked about his journey towards spiritualism.

His close associate Prof of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences Mowadat H Rana told Dawn that Mubbashar had replaced the Lunacy Act 1912 with the world’s most progressive Mental Health Act 2001 and transformed psychiatry into mental health.

UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Javed Akram said: “Prof Mubbashar was an astute administrator, a medical colossus, a consummate academic, a consistent advocate of better healthcare delivery system in the country, a mentor par excellence and a role model of no mean stature”.

Dr Mubbashar died on heart attack in Islamabad on Aug 10. He was 75.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2020