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The making of a university
Karachi, Aug 16, 2008: At the time of the Partition in 1947, there was just one medical
college in Karachi – Dow Medical College (DMC). Besides being the oldest medical
college in Sindh, DMC also enjoys the distinction of being the second oldest
medical college in Pakistan; the oldest being King Edward's in
Lahore.
The increase in population created a demand for more doctors and
thus Sindh Medical College (SMC) came into being in 1973. But the population
kept on increasing at breakneck speed and the two medical colleges proved to be
insufficient. Hence Karachi saw the birth of many medical colleges and
universities in a very short span of time. This, in no way, lessened the
importance of DMC and SMC, as these two colleges, affiliated with the University
of Karachi (KU), were the only option for students belonging to the middle and
lower middle classes who could not afford the extravagant tuition fee of the
private universities.
In 2003, Dr Isharatul Ibad, an alumni of DMC,
assumed the governorship of Karachi. One of his very first acts was to upgrade
his alma mater, DMC, to university status. The two medical colleges, DMC and
SMC, and Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases came together as Dow University of
Health Sciences and Dr Masood Hameed Khan was appointed as the first Vice
Chancellor of the fledgling university on January 14, 2004.
This was the
beginning of a revolution; the new VC, along with his dedicated and highly
motivated team, has done wonders within the short span of four years. Starting
with three institutions, DUHS has now 34 institutes under its belt. Also, the
BDS degree course has started in SMC. The need for this was felt when the
university was created but there was no space to start the dental college. On
his maiden tour of the SMC, the VC, Dr Masood Hameed, noticed this abandoned,
ancient derelict of a building. Upon inquiry, he found out that orders had
already been given to have this relic of the 1800s demolished. He cancelled the
orders and brought in experts to report whether the building could be salvaged
or not. The report stated that the building was very strong and just needed some
renovation work. Well, now the same derelict proudly stands as Dr Isharatul Ibad
Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences. Those beautiful, sloping roofs with
amazing original brickwork are back in their old glory! The interior has been
done keeping in mind the Mehran Valley culture with beautiful kashikari on the
walls and floors. Not only has our cultural heritage been protected, the
students studying BDS, too, have a college that they can be proud of. The latest
instruments have been provided here, and dental x-rays which are done for
thousands of rupees are done here for as low as Rs100 to Rs200. Hygiene is
another factor that is considered to be of utmost importance. All instruments in
the dental clinics here are autoclaved (sterilised) before use and the poor
finally have access to facilities at par with Karachi's best oral health
facilities. Although it has been operational for the last two years, the
facility looks new, attesting to the fact that it is being well
maintained.
But that is just one of the new additions to the impressive
array of institutions of the DUHS; Dow University Artificial Limb Centre (DUAL
Centre) is providing limbs to the disabled for Rs5,000, along with a rehab plan
which aims at streamlining the patients into the day to day life with ease and
dignity. Although this department has not been officially inaugurated, 730 limbs
have already been fixed to the disabled and about 70 patients are treated daily.
It should be noted here that before the DUAL Centre, such patients had to travel
to NWFP, and spend about Rs80,000 per limb.
The Institute of Medical
Technology (IMT) is another notable achievement, offering a bachelor's programme
which ensures lucrative employment at the end of four years, as a trained
technician earns about Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 per month. The students, however,
have the option to exit after 2 years with a diploma.
The most impressive
and ambitious project undertaken by the DUHS, is the Medical Research City at
the premises of the old Ojha Sanatorium. Medical research is being done here by
doctors and students alike in every field. For virtually every department, there
is a well equipped laboratory with the latest state-of-the-art machines, along
with some that no other hospital in the city possesses; some of these machines
are capable of carrying out 900 tests at one time! DUHS is hopeful of getting
the ISO15189 accreditation this year. Samples are sent from the USA and the
results are checked and verified by the labs there. Dow Lab is already providing
quality investigations at very economical rates. At present, they have 3
collection points for specimens, and DUHS means to create 50 more collection
units.
Also under construction is the Dow International College for
foreign students, along with a 400 bed hospital and an array of operation
theatres and clinics. At present, the college is housed in a temporary building
provided with all the facilities the students from the USA and other countries
are used to. The revenue generated from the international students is also used
for the various developmental projects aimed at expanding the
university.
Another notable addition to the institutes under the DUHS is
its institute for training nurses. The training being imparted is so good that a
visiting USA programme director who saw the training in process offered jobs to
all the nurses in the batch - on the spot.
Revolutionary methods of
teaching are fast replacing the old ways. Where previously patients were used as
guinea pigs for experimentation, mannequins imported from the US are being used.
It is on these mannequins that different processes and operations like giving
injections and delivering babies and minor operations are taught. The mannequin
bleeds and screams when a mistake is committed by the student. A digital library
connecting all the campuses of the university is available to the staff and the
faculty; they can even access it from their homes. It offers more than 22,000
books and research papers to students.
All this amazing work seems to be
in jeopardy now with the Sindh government wanting the whole pie. The recent
disclosure that they wish to appoint a Vice Chancellor of their own choice bodes
ill for the numerous projects already underway in the Medical Research City. If
anything needs to be autonomous, it is this university which, if left unimpeded,
will soon be among the best medical universities in the world, and a source of
pride for this city by the sea. Good luck, Team Dr Masood Hameed! The News
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