The ordinance of Dow University of Health Sciences was promulgated on December 29th 2003 by Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, Governor of Sindh. It had three constituent Colleges Dow Medical College (established in 1945), Sindh Medical College (established in 1973), and Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (established in 1942).
The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) has progressed since its establishment three and half years back as per vision and mission, which is based on three main domains:
A) ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND RESEARCH
B) HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
C) COMMUNITY CARE
The foremost focus on academic excellence has been addressed by the establishment of a research department and department of medical education to introduce integrated teaching at the undergraduate level, problem based learning, communication skills, research methodology, medical ethics and workshops on basic life support including other medical skills,besides undergraduate symposia are part of teaching program.
A RESEARCH LABORATORY has also been established at the OJHA Campus and is equipped with most modern required equipments. Twenty Six (26) Students have been enrolled after passing GRE and Subject Test in Phd. program. The department has well equipped research & a reference laboratory.
A research project is being conducted jointly by Dow University, National Institute of Health, Alabama (USA) & Aga Khan University on "Infections" in the department of Gynaecology DUHS.
COMPUTER LEARNING CENTRE with twenty computer stations was established three years back. The centre having a regular trainer, has trained all the faculty members as well as postgraduate students benefit, the participants of Teacher Training Program belonging to different colleges of Karachi and family physicians.
Update of family physician program is designed for the benefit general public, as they also need to update their knowledge. A series of lectures & interactive sessions have been carried out by the general practitioners & other faculty members at Dow University Auditorium to fulfil this purpose.
The CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) Programs are routinely conducted by the Dow University.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE was established about eighteen months back for continuous professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME), Uptil now more than three hundred lectures have been delivered by various national and international experts. More then eighty workshops have been held at this centre including six on basic life support (BLS), nine on advance cardiac life support (ACLS), five on pediatric, seven on obstetric and two on primary trauma care, besides those on basic surgical skills, plastic surgery, burns, microbiology, biostatistics and research methodology and various other workshops pertaining to basic and clinical medical sciences.
Separate workshops were held on Enhancing Nursing Skills and training of ambulance drivers to handle patients in emergency situations. The facilitators were certified trainers from UK, USA and other countries including Pakistan.
Several master trainers were also trained during these workshops
Three workshops were held on TEMPORAL BONE DISSECTION and one on "FIBEROENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY (FESS) AND RHINOPLASTY". These workshops were conducted with intervals of six months, by experts from Nepal and Malaysia with the coordination of ENT department of Dow University.
The participants of these workshops were mostly senior ENT Surgeons not only from within but also from outside Pakistan. This workshop will be held after every six months. Similarly, workshops were conducted on Transesophageal echocardiography and angioplasty.
A team of about three USA surgeons conducted complicated Burns & Plastic Surgeries at Dow University of Health Sciences day & night for three days.
After the disasterous earthquake on 8th October 2005 it was felt that a disaster management workshop was needed, hence it was conducted twice at the University, mainly for young doctors and volunteers who wanted to help sufferers. The field services were provided by team of 56 doctors and paramedics alongwith required medicines and equipments. Considering the dire need, a Symposium on DISASTER MANAGEMENT was held later on. It was conducted by Eve Mcgrath from UK and attended by many undergraduates and postgraduates students.
The Dow University also conducted outreach CME programs through this professional development centre in the interior of Sindh, in collaboration with United Nations Fund for Population Assistance (UNFPA).
Another three days workshop was also conducted on basic life support and primary trauma care in Gilgit, in collaboration with Aga Khan health services.
The Dow University has held three ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIA uptil now. In which state of art lectures were delivered by eminent International and national speakers each symposia lasted for three days and also had pre-symposia workshops.
The Dow University of Health Sciences also organised the FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on "Recent Trends in Medical Education" in collaboration with Higher Education Commission. The conference was successfully conducted with the help of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Hyderabad, Isra University, Hyderabad and Ripha International University Islamabad who also participated in this Conference.
Professor Atta-ur-Rahmana Chairman HEC was the chief guest and Professor Sohail Naqvi executive director HEC was the guest of honour. The conference had International and national speakers. The most eminent facilitator was Professor David Cook from Canada. More than hundred participants attended the workshop and made delibrations at the end of this three days conference.
Examination Department has been established with fool proof system, both administratively and functionally. A new software has been developed and an optical scanner and a special software for MCQ development has been installed. The period of examination calendar is restricted to thirty days that is from the start of theory to declaration of the results so the precious time of students could be saved.
A QUALITY ENHANCEMENT CELL: has also been established at the Dow University with the support of Higher Education Commission to help the institution in formulating an appropriate syllabus and execute structured teaching programs with proper assessment and evaluation under the support and guidance of the Higher Education Commission.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT COURSES: based on modules of educational psychology, advance teaching skills, administrative planning, communication skills, curriculum development, research skills, assessment and evaluation, alongwith microteaching and computer skills are being conducted. These are twenty four day courses, with daily five hour sessions.
They are conducted by about twenty highly qualified and experienced resource persons. The participants are teachers of all specialties including Arts, Science, Literature, Commerce, Engineering and Medicine.
These Courses are sponsored by National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) HEC, Islamabad and are conducted at Dow University, which has been designated as the national resource centre. These are ongoing courses being conducted from May 2005 and uptil now TEN COURSES, each having thirty five participants have been completed.
AN INTERNET AND INTRANET DIGITAL LIBRARY: has been established with the help of Higher Education Commission. The four liberaries having three hundred (300) computer stations and a strong serwar room are connected by radiofrequency and final PERN Connectivity with Higher Education Commission, has enabled us to have access to more than 20,000 journals and 4000 text books with full text.
The digital library of Dow Medical College has recently been inaugurated by the Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan. The Students and the faculty members are being benefited by it. The Dow University has the E-Vision to use information technology, effectively in this age of science and technology.
All the departments are equipped with modern computers and printers. Inshallah very soon it will enable us to run the entire teaching and other activities online. Learning lessons can be downloaded by the participants who can share opinion and put-up questions. Educational Courses can also be organised through it.
The Students will get a chance to craft their responses and have creative conversations. Group Collaborations is also possible which being in the database is more permanent than voice conversation. It will also be helpful in setting up question papers, conduct examination and submit results.
VIDEO CONFERENCING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE: with the help of HEC and online collaborations to meet the challenges of 21st century. The International Computer Driving License (ICDL) is an internationally recognised qualification that enable people to demonstrate their competence in the use of computer, it is certified by the United Kingdom (UK).
The Higher education Commission has been selected as the only centre for international certification course. It is designed specifically for those who wish to raise their level of IT Knowledge and improve productivity at work, it enables them to invest more efficiently in IT, acquire help both at work and at home and to have a solid foundation of computer skills, thus helping them in utilising technology, competently and confidently. It has seven modules and a test for each must be passed before the ICDL Certificate is awarded. These modules include word processing, data base and communication etc. The training for this course is being provided at Dow University.
The digital library of Sindh Medical College was inaugurated by Mr Noman Saigal, IT Minister Govt. of Sindh. Digital Libraries at Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College, Dental College and Dow International Medical College of Dow University alongwith the Main Server Room at the three campuses are Inter Connected. Human Resource Development is focussed to develop medical and paramedical strength of Pakistan.
INSTITUTE OF NURSING: was established in January 2006. It is funded by HEC. Professor Atta-ur-Rehman, Chairman HEC, has laid the foundation stone of the new building about a year back and the construction is in process, Meanwhile the institute is located in a renovated block at Ojha Campus of Dow University. Presently it has 100 students undergoing two years post RN BSc Program.
INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: is providing four years bachelor degree besides two years diploma Courses in five disciplines namely operation theater, critical care, ophthalmology, clinical Pathology and occupational therapy. Presently two hundred & fifty students are studying in these discipline since January 2006.
INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION: has been established for the benefit of Patients. It is also a very important component of health care system. There are very few experts available in this field. Presently twenty five students are being trained in the 4 years B.S. program of occupational therapy . Physicaly handicapped patients will be very much benefited Inshallah very soon with the provision of artificial limbs from this department of Dow University.
SARWAR ZUBAIRI LIVER CENTRE (SZLC): was established by the Dow University three years back so as to provide better health services to our people, it is named after a legend hepatologist, Madam Sarwar Zubairi. It has uptil now registered about 6000 patients. The aim of this centre is to provide maximum possible services at one place, besides investigations and treatment through various means including Adopt a Patient Scheme.
This centre also conducts surveys and public awareness programs. Immunisation for hepatitis B, councilling and dietary advises are also provided by this centre. A separate institute of liver diseases has been planned at the Ojha campus, foundation stone of which has been laid by the Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul- Ebad Khan about a year ago and the PLANNING IS UNDERWAY SO AS TO HAVE THE FIRST LIVER INSTITUTE WITH ALL POSSIBLE SERVICES INCLUDING LIVER TRANSPLANT AND RESEARCH RELATED TO LIVER DISEASES IN THIS REGION.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY (NIDE): was also established by the Dow University last year, in which a separate eye department with latest equipments including a laser machine has been installed in collaboration with Dowite batch of 1980. This centre provides services to diabetic patients. It also conducts public awareness programs frequently, besides workshops for postgraduates students. Master program of Endocrinology & Diabetes will be announced very soon at this Institute.
DIAGNOSTIC COMPLEX: of Dow University will soon be established at Ojha Campus, which will provide state of the art diagnostic facilities, including CT scan and MRI. Maximum possible investigations at one place will be within reach of a common man physically and financially.
The Dow University has also planned a comprehensive public awareness program for children and adults. The motto of Dow University is "Prevention is better than cure". Pakistan being an under developed country cannot afford huge health budget, hence we need to develop preventive aspects. In this regard the Dow University has planned a nation wide health education program. The Curriculum has been developed to educate primary and secondary school children regarding prevention of diseases and disease implications.
A VISITING FACULTY PROGRAM: has also been introduced so as to include national and international experts on specified terms and conditions for transfer of knowledge to the students and the faculty members.
Regarding service benefits, the University has, with the approval of the syndicate, allowed upgradation to all its employees from grade one to sixteen, who were stuck up in a post for over ten years, provided they fulfilled the given criteria.
Basic science teaching allowance, maximum of Rs 15,000 and Minimum of Rs 5000/- has also been given as an incentive for Basic Science Teachers. The stipend of Rs 15,000 / month to FCPS part II trainees is also given by the University.
The Dow University teachers have also been upgraded to the next higher grade ie lecturers in grade 18, assistant professor in grade 19, associate professors and professors with major qualification or equivalent in grade 20 and 21, respectively.
The Dow University is frequently visited by foreign delegates from USA & UK. Dr Hussain A. Gezairy, Regional Representative of WHO recently visited Dow University and appreciated the developments.
The University was also honoured by the visit of PROF. PARVEEN KUMAR, AND MICHAEL CLARK, The authors of well known book of "CLINICAL MEDICINE" alongwith Dr Tanzeem Haider eminent medical educationist from UK. They also accepted to be the honorary faculty members of Dow University, which is agreat honour for Dow University. The Dow University celebrated its anniversary by having an evening with the legend Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi.
Students are also actively involved in the Sports and have participated in many inter college and inter university matches. Girls have one trophy in throw ball twice and Boys have also one cricket matches. They were given certificate and medals by the University.
RENOVATIONS AT DOW AND SINDH MEDICAL COLLEGES: were started immediately after the establishment of the University and the most of them have been fully renovated, which includes auditoriums, lecture halls, laboratories, canteens, girl's common rooms, boy's common rooms and offices.
INSTITUTE OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES: has also been established to meet the deficiencies of human resources in basic medical sciences. The building for this department is under construction and will soon be completed. The vision of the university is to produce doctors of the future who are fully aware of upcoming medical research and provide updated medical knowledge at par with developed countries.
JINNAH GENOME CENTRE: has been established to keep pace with the latest trends in medical education. Genome Centre was planned and the scheme has already been approved by the Higher Education Commission.
Designing and planning of the Centre is under Process. Professor Hameed Khan a graduate and a renowned scientist presently working in NIH (USA) will be guiding and contributing technically for the establishment of this centre. This centre will be one of its kind in this part of the world. The construction work for this Institution has already started.
ESTABLISHMENT OF DOW INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL COLLEGE: is mainly established for children of overseas Pakistanis, who are keen to acquire medical education in Pakistan. It will also help the community in various ways.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has sponsored this college. The hospital is presently having two hundred and fifty beds and soon it will have another hundred beds, with maximum diagnostic and treatment facilities.
The new building is under construction and inshallah will be completed in one year, presently this new college is lodged in a renovated building. This building has two floors. The ground floor has three basic science departments.
The first floor has two large lecture halls each with a capacity of hundred and twenty five seats having most modern audio-visual system, including multimedia and are fully air conditioned, administrative offices and other departments are also on this floor.
State of the art Internet and Intranet Digital Library has also been established in this new medical college, it is Interconnected with the constituent institutes and finally with PERN of HEC, thereby giving access to more than 20,000 journals and text books with full text. Besides this there is also a big standard library having 2500 books and spacious reading cubicles.
The department of Anatomy has a dissection Hall. Having modern cold storage facility for six dead bodies at a time. A plastic museum having modles of minute anatomical parts of the whole body, is also a part of this department.
The department also has preserved dissected body parts. The department of Physiology has two modern laboratories with latest equipments and POWER-LABS. The labs are well equipped even for post graduate skills. In these power labs research projects can easily be designed and conducted.
The department of Biochemistry is also well equipped, having required equipments and multimedia necessary for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. State of the art research laboratory has also been established. It is a high tech diagnostic lab for research but patients will also be benefited by it.
All the routine and advanced pathological tests including histopathology, microbiology, cytology, haematology, immunology and chemical pathology will be performed etc. The molecular pathology lab is also established in accordance with recent advances including P.C.R, molecular hybridisation and blotting techniques.
This research laboratory will help not only undergraduate students but also postgraduate students of MPhil & PhD. The faculty members of this new college DIMC have been appointed by the Dow University of Health Sciences as per requirements of PMDC.
They are experienced, highly qualified and committed to produce medical graduates with excellence. The teaching curriculum is designed and developed for students in such a way that they can pursue any field of medical specialty in future.
The college was inspected by PMDC team and they highly appreciated the establishment of the new college according to the modern standards. There are seperate hostels for boys and girls which are air-conditioned and equiped within the campus, alongwith full security. overseas and local students have been given admission and the classes have started since 11th June 2007.
ON GOING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OF DOW UNIVERSITY: The funds have been allocated and the work is in process for the following schemes.
-- Construction of academic block and medical education cell, tutorial rooms and lecture halls.
-- Building for the department of postgraduate studies and postgraduate research library.
-- Renovation / Rehabilitation and Extension of Academic Library & Administrative blocks.
-- Renovation / Rehabilitation of existing (Ground Plus Four) Sindh Medical College (SMC) Academic Block.
-- Development of various miscellaneous departments of Dow University.
MEDICAL RESEARCH CITY PROJECTS PLANNED:
The Dow University of Health Sciences has 130 acres of Land at its Ojha Campus. The Master plan of this area has already been developed.
This modern research city will include most of the above mentioned projects. Besides these, some more projects will also be included. The designing is in the process and part of the construction has already been started.
THE PROJECTS WHICH WILL START VERY SOON INCLUDES:
a) A gymnasium
b) Mosque
c) Convention centre
d) Sport Complex
e) Residential accommodation for foreign faculty
f) New public library - 'Kitab Khana-e-Yusufi'
The medical research city will also have following Institutes in future.
i) Institute of Neuromedical Sciences
ii) Institute of Heart diseases
iii) Disaster Management cell
By the Grace of God we are marching ahead and Inshallah soon this will be a University of International standard, having International Collaborations.
SPORTS COMPLEX: will have gymnasium, cricket ground, squash, tennis and badminton courts alongwith facilities for indoor games and will inshallah be established in a years time.
ORIENTATION DAY AND START OF FIRST YEAR MBBS CLASSES AT DOW INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL COLLEGE FROM 11TH JUNE 2007: DR ISHRAT-UL-EBAD KAHN INSTITUTE OF ORAL HEALTH SCIENCES (DIIOHS) has also been established in an old building.
A 150 years old building, where the first premier campus for the Sindh Medical College was established in 1973 has been completely renovated from inside according to modern standards, where as the external heritage look has been preserved and strengthened.
The orange colored terracotta roof top tiles used in this heritage building still show their year of manufacturing as 1865. By virtue of its history it becomes one of the oldest building in Pakistan to house the most advanced and State of the Art Dental Institute.
The foundation stone of this institute was laid by the Governor of Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan in September 2004. This Institute has been dedicated to Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, honourable Governor Sindh for establishing Dow University of Health Sciences.
THIS INSTITUTE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR:
1) Dental College.
2) Postgraduate Training & Research Center.
3) School of Dental Care Professionals (DCP) for dental technologists, for 2 years diploma, 4 years Bachelor and 6 years Postgraduates course. The curriculum is of high international standard.
Senior faculty members have been appointed for this Institute and it is equipped with the most modern dental chairs and other high quality equipments it has been inspected by PMDC Fifty students have been admitted purely on merit after the entrance test. The classes have started from 12th June 2007.
SCHOOL OF DENTAL CARE PROFESSIONALS (DCP): has been established by the Dow University of Health Sciences, so as to develop human resource in the field of dental technology, as there is acute shortage of dental technologist, not only in Pakistan but world over. Now we have given admissions to Dental technologists. We have established this DCP School as a part of Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences (DIIOHS). The diploma Courses are being started in Dental Technology, Dental Hygiene and Dental Surgery Assistant.
-- ORIENTATION DAY AND STARTING OF FIRST YEAR BDS CLASS AT THE DENTAL COLLEGE
-- DR ISHRAT-UL-EBAD KHAN INSTITUTE OF ORAL HEALTH SCIENCE (DIIOHS)
-- FROM 12TH JUNE 2007
-- DENTAL HOSPITAL
The dental hospital of Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences is functioning for the past six months. The daily attendance of Patients in the OPD is about 50 to 60 patients per day. All possible treatment including filling and root canal treatment is provided to these patients with the most sophisticated, top of the line instruments. After few months InshaAllah Bachelor (BSC) and Postgraduate (MSC) Courses will also be started.
This is the first School of Dental Care Professionals in Pakistan. The Curriculum developed for this school, is of high International Standard. The Diploma holders, graduates and postgraduates will be in high demand not only in Pakistan but even abroad By the grace of God and with the team efforts we have accomplished some of our aims and hopefully we will be successful in our several other projects of the university which are in the pipeline and Insha Allah we will be able to plan and execute more projects in future so as to increase health care facilities in Pakistan.
INSTITUTE OF HEALTH MANAGEMENT (IHM) has also been established by Dow University of Health Sciences to start programs in 'Health care Management' and 'Pharmaceutical sciences'. The primary objective of IHM is to provide managers for health care sector so that the health care services can be improved substantially, This era is moving towards multiple streams where managers who have, service orientation and can make our enterprises sustainable, so as to survive and serve the society.
The second objective of this institute is to help managers complement their organizations to make better decisions that would help the organisation and the society as a whole.
We at Dow University of Health Sciences have been studying these patterns and at Institute of Health Management would be in corporating this dynamism in our Philosophy.
Our Strength is in our partnership with the pharmaceutical industry and hospital in Pakistan. Our primary target is the working class, both in pharmaceutical industry and hospital, who have "hands on" experience and can apply the knowledge, learned in the class. This would enhance their technical and Cognitive abilities.
The second target audiences of this institute are the participants who have completed their bachelor's requirements and would like to be indulged in health care system (pharmaceutical and hospital industry).
The delivery of the program plays an important role in developing the students' thought processes during the classroom with the faculty and outside the classroom while implementing the knowledge transferred in their own contexts in organizations. This efficiency will help organizations reduce the cost and increase objective achievement. Through the course IHM would try to introduce new issues being developed globally. Our students are our future partners who would then become a part of the institute to promote it and to uphold its name. The admission for the first batch has been announced and soon the classes will start.
-- INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION has invited applications for BSc in Occupational therapy, orthosis and Prosthosis, School of Occupational therapy has also been established for the courses Orthosis and Prosthosis.
-- Admissions is School of Dental Care Professionals (DCP) has also been announced.
-- MASTERS PROGRAM IN DIABETES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY have also been started at the National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIDE) DUHS which was established two years back. It will conduct two years MSc. Program.
-- SCHOOL OF PHARMACY has also been established recently for five years Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy) courses. Admission procedure for the first batch has started.
-- INSTITUTE OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES of DUHS will also be offering admissions for MPhill and PhD Courses.
-- MASTERS OF DENTAL SURGERY (MDS) will now be offered in basic dental sciences to BDS graduates at Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, DUHS. This will be three years course. This program comprises the course work.
(The writer is Vice Chancellor, Dow University of Health Sciences.)