KARACHI, Sept 29: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad announced 10 annual scholarships for postgraduate studies in dental sciences abroad.

While speaking at the stone laying ceremony of Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, the governor announced Rs2 million as seed money for the institute to be established in the premises of Sindh Medical College.

He expressed surprise over the institute's name and said that he did not deserve this honour, as it was his duty to encourage moves for improving health of people. "I feel proud to be Dowitee and my aim is to rectify issues faced by health and education sector. I hope Dow University of Health Sciences will progress and serve the nation," he said.

The governor said that oral health of community had been neglected in past and there was also lack of facilities. "We need best researchers and dentists to fill this gap. The initiative taken by the Dow university would cope up the requirements," he added.

He said that the government would encourage private sector in the field of health and education and there must be acknowledgement to them in general. Appreciating the hard work of the Dow varsity's vice- chancellor Prof Masood Hameed Khan, Ishratul Ibad said that professionals would prove that Sindh could serve the best of whole country.

Secretary Health Prof Naushad Shaikh disclosed that the project would be completed in three phases with a cost of Rs60.55 million, of which 60 per cent would be provided by the Dow varsity, 30 per cent from self-financing and 10 per cent from other resources.

He said that it would increase dental manpower and create job opportunities for professionals. "On an average, there is only one doctor for 27,407 population that should at least be one for 10,000.

There is only one public sector dental college in Sindh at Jamshoro and that too was not sufficient to produce dentists according to needs," he added. Giving further statistics, he said that there were a total of 1,739 dentist out of whom 837 were females while there were only 79 dental specialists in the province.

The Pakistan Dental Association's president, Dr Kamran Wasfi said that the institute of oral health sciences was long standing demand of Karachittes, as children had no option except studying abroad for postgraduate studies.

"Institute is a big service for people of Karachi," he said and added that there were inadequate facilities for postgraduate studies in oral health sciences in the city.

The Dow varsity's vice-chancellor, Prof Masood Hameed, said that the institute would house a dental college before other colleges for training of para-dental staff. "Dental institute was badly needed. I hope other universities will also establish dental institutes," he added.

"The Dow varsity will also establish institutes of biomedical and basic medical sciences, physical education and rehabilitation centre, while the project for establishment of Dr Sarwar Jehan Zuberi Institute of Liver Diseases at Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases is in pipeline," he said.

Prof Masood Hameed expressed hope that classes at Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences would start in January 2005, as the infrastructure was available at the SMC. -PPI