ISLAMABAD: Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) and Federal Medical College (FMC), Islamabad’s first public-sector medical college, will finally get their own buildings in G-8/3. President Dr Arif Alvi inaugurated the two projects on Wednesday.

Federal Medical College (FMC) and SZABMU were established during the PPP government.

A plot of 16 kanals has been allocated in G-8/3 on which academic block of the university and teaching block of the FMC will be established. The seven-storey building will have a basement too. The covered area will be 167,000 square feet while the FMC building will be constructed on six kanals.

Dr Alvi inaugurated the plaque of the Rs1.58 billion university’s building funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

President Alvi inaugurates two projects in G-8

The building of the Federal Medical College will also be established along side the university’s academic block. For this, the the national health services (NHS) ministry has allotted land with the approval of the board of the SZABMU medical teaching institution.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and HEC Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail also attended the ground breaking ceremony. The university’s compound will be set up in three years time.

While briefing the president, SZABMU Vice Chancellor Prof Tanwir Khaliq said the eco-friendly building would be equipped with modern labs, adding that the university, with the assistance of the HEC, would also establish the FMC building on land allotted close to varsity’s compound.

President Alvi appreciated the university’s steps declaring it a landmark event for medical education.

He said the institution could supplement the needed human resource for medical field.

The president said Pakistan was facing shortage of quality medical professionals and institutions like SZABMU can play their key role for development and production of quality human resource.

Dr Faisal Sultan said the government was committed to continuing its support for medical education and research, and the construction of SZABMU academic block was part of its efforts to improve medical education and research in the country.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2021