Dr. Amanullah Pathan Cardiologist and LMC graduate is back from Hyderabad after2 weeks. He had been to Hyderabad after the sad demise of his sister.
Dr. Shafi Quraishi is back after a long sojourn in Karachi. While in Karachi he despite his health, he delivered lectures in JPMC and DMC. His program to visit LUMHS and deliver similar lectures could not be materialized.
Dr. Masood Shaikh LMC graduate and Nephrologists from Arizona, has returned from Hyderabad after spending three weeks. He delivered lectures in LUMHS and Isra University. He plans permanently moving to Sindh sometime this year. Dr. Makhdoom Zahoor LMC graduate and Gastroenterologist from Carbondale, IL, also is back from his vacation in Sindh.
Dr Anila Shah from LMC has been accepted into a Psychiatry Program in Washington DC.
Dr. Farheen Kazi of Belleville and a student of ST. Louis University has also been able to get residency in ophthalmology.
Dr. Farheen Kazi
Dr. Farheen Kazi..A large Appna Delegation is visiting India next month to establish people to people contact and take a vacation in India. They are being helped by the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin AAPI.
SANA Regional Convention will be held in Houston on the 19th of March,this year.
Dr. Aijaz Turk is safely back to Kalamazoo from Sindh after a long vacation. Intouch plans to audiopost him for a briefing soon.
LUMHS Convocation is to be held on March 29th, 2005.
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LMC: A historical perspective
FEROZE A. URSANI (Class of 1974)
The Sindh Medical School, awarding the LSMF medical diplomas’ started in the Civil Hospital Hyderabad in 1881, under the University of Bombay.
It was raised to the status of a medical college in 1942 and named Dow Medical College after the then Governor of Sindh, Sir Hugh Dow, and started to award MBBS degrees.
Soon after the creation of Pakistan, Sindh saw its first of a long process of geographical,linguistic,social and cultural annexations, and its capital Karachi was usurped by the “centre” and DMC at Hyderabad was also “centralised” and moved from Hyderabad to Karachi.
The government of Sindh was thus left with no medical institution and thus in the summer of 1951 the Liaquat Medical College was started by it in the former premises of the DMC at the civil hospital Hyderabad. Therefore, though formal medical education started in Sindh at Hyderabad in 1881, LMC started in 1951.
LMC held its first on-campus convocations (previously convocations were held at the University of Sindh campuses) in 1986, and I was honored to be a part of its organizing team, and in that capacity came across some valuable information pertaining to LMC’s establishment, some of which were notes jotted down by Professor Shahenshah Hussain Zaidi (Principal LMC 1953-54) in his own handwriting. I found the information interesting reading, and am presenting to you as a historical perspective on LMC.
The idea of a University Town in Jamshoro was conceived by Allam I.I.Kazi in 1952 and acted upon by Mr G.M.Kazi the then Secretary Health. However, how did LMC move from Hyderabad to Jamshoro is a story of an anecdotal charm, or serious material for the ancestral history buff amongst you, and is worth telling, so here is it!
Syed Hashim Raza was the Secretary Health when the government of Sindh decided that LMC needed larger accommodations. He approved a proposal to requisition 150 acres of prime agriculture lands in deh Jamshoro on the left bank of the mighty Indus (between the present LMC and the Kotri Barrage). However the landowners protested and the plan was dropped. Instead, land was acquired in deh Sone Valhar in “Mor Jabal”, to house the present LMC Campus. This barren land belonged to a big-wig of the districtat that time, and his political clout prevailed.
However, when the actual construction plans were sought from the Town Planner of the government of Sindh, an Australian Mr S. Thomas, a man of credible know how in city planning and no self-serving leanings, he opposed Mor Jabal as the site for LMC and instead proposed a tract of land from the present Hyderabad Circuit House to the “katcha killa” in the boundaries of the city of Hyderabad itself. He wrote to the then Principal LMC who rushed to Karachi and got the proposal approved by the then Governor of Sindh, Mian Amiruddin. When the actual planning started it transpired that this piece of land was in the cantonment area of Hyderabad, and when permission was sought from the Pakistan Army the C-in-C at that time remarked that he is not going to part with an inch of land belonging to the “services”! Thus ended that planning, and the proposal went back to Jamshoro.
In June 1953 the Jamshoro was revived and the foundation stone of LMC was laid on January the First in 1954, and construction completed in 1961. The LMC Hospital Jamshoro was completed on 22nd of September,1963. Teaching began at Jamshoro in 1957.
That was about bricks and mortars, what about lives and livelihoods, souls and spirits, that makean institution. Here is some of that!
In the initial four years (1951-1955) LMC had Hyderabad’s Civil Surgeon Dr Sher Muhammad Ansari as its head of Anatomy, with four demonstrators, two ofwhich Professors Lassi and Ahsan Karim, will eventually become anatomists of repute themselves. Professor Shahenshah Hussain Zaidi was the head of Physiology and Mr S.M.Munawar was in charge of Biochemistry (he retired from in February 1976 after a glorious quarter century of selfless service to LMC). Mr Ghulam Muhammad Junejo headed the Pharmacology department and Professor Saleem Khan was the Head of Pathology with two demonstrators, oneof which was Dr G.M. Bhatti who rose up to be a pathologist of repute himself.
When Clinical teaching began at LMC, Surgery and OB/GYN was taught by reknowned Surgeon S.A.H.Rizvi, ENT by Dr Asadullah Lone, and medicine by Dr Ali Muhammad Chaudhry. Professor M.M. Hassan was the head of Ophthalmology with Professor Akil bin Abdul Kadir the lecturer.
That was the total teaching strength at LMC for the first batch of students admitted in 1951 comprising of 52 boys and 9 girls. Out of this class four graduated in May of 1956 (Professor M.A.Almani, Dr Rafiullah, Professor Matin Afridi and Dr Nizamuddin Shaikh LMC’s first Best Graduate) and eight graduated in Oct/Nov 1956, inluding LMC’s first two lady graduates.
LMC was established in 1951, and today is a University of Medical and Health Sciences, with its own alumnus as its first Vice Chancellor in Professor Jan Muhammad Memon. The stride of development has been beholding, but has our alma mater kept up qualitatively? No historical biopic of LMC would be complete without an honorable mention of truly its “founder” Najib Khan. Col Najib, as he was known as, was Principal of LMC from 1956-1961 and 1963-1966, and relentlessly strived, and remarkably achieved, for LMC a name in the noble institutions. I was present when Col Najeeb gave his historic nearly two hour speech at the LMC Graduates Assciation meeting in, I believe, 1976, and its there that I remember him honor Mr Noor Muhammad Samo an administrative official at LMC, whom he called as the person all of us at LMC shouldbe proud of, as he served LMC as much with dedication as the Col himself.
Institutions are not only buildings and gardens, high names and empty vessels. They can only rightly be Institutes of Learning if what learning is imparted there is of the highest caliber, and the men and women who pass through their annals present not only great intellect and wisdom, but are of the finest moral fiber.
I am hoping some of us who read this will let us all become aware of such great LMC graduates, who I am sure are many.
Life in Belleville:
The Mosque above was built in Belleville few years back from donations
of both Hindus and Muslims. Its basement community hall is the venue of
lively Monthly Pot Luck Parties where freedom of Speech and freedom from speech
is strongly exercised.
On Feb. 21st,2005 Dr. Abdul Whab Kazi invited lots of his friends to his beautiful
house in Belleville. Here are some of the guests.
Mahreen
KIDS CORNER
Birthdays:
.
Drs Ali Bux Shaikh, Shahnaz Shaikh and friends celebrating Shaayan Shaikh's
Birthday in San Antonio recently.
..
Noor Ahmed Lakho flanked by his friends Ranjana and Gulshan Kodwani at his birthday
party in Belleville.
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Invitation for Sana ConventionOn behalf of SANA Washington Capital Area chapter, and
SANA 2005 convention committee, it is my pleasure to
inform you that we have finalized contract for the
event with Double Tree Hotel & Executive Meeting
Center at Tysons Corner, 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls
Church, VA 22043.
The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center at
Tysons Corner is located just minutes from the
Washington DC metro area, Dulles International and
Reagan National Airports, in the heart of Northern
Virginia's business district. The underground Metro
rail, serving Greater Washington DC, is just 2 miles
from the hotel, providing quick and easy service to
Washington businesses and attractions, including the
Smithsonian, the Capital, White House, National Zoo
and government offices. World class shopping at the
Tysons Corner Mall and Tyson's Galleria are just a
complimentary shuttle ride away across the street.
You can visit the hotel web site at
http://www.doubletree-tysons.com .
We are very much looking forward to host you all on
this occasion, and we will do our best to make your
visit and the convention a memorable one. More details
on making reservations will follow in next few days.
The Convention will be held from June 30th to July 4th, 2005
Sincerely
Sarfraz Memon
Yasmeen Memon. President,
Renu Ahuja. Vice President
Mansoor Qureshi. General Secretary
SANA Washington Capital Area Chapter
Sarfraz Memon. Chairman Organizing Committee
Gulam Mohammad Memon. Vice Chairman
Abdul Karim Memon. Vice Chairman
SANA 2005 Convention Committee
-----------------------------------
SANA participated in International Mother Language
Day
Sindhi Association of North America
participated in the International Mother Language Day
celebration in Houston, TX on 19th February (this
weekend). A number of organizations including the
Bangladesh Student Association (BSA) of University of
Houston main campus, along with its parent
organization, Bangladesh Association, Houston (BAH),
hosted the event.
It may be recalled that in its 1999 General
Conference, United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had proclaimed the
21st of February as International Mother Language Day,
to recognize the sanctity of all vernacular languages,
as well as to promote linguistic and cultural
diversity. The specific day of February was chosen in
appreciation and recognition of the unprecedented
sacrifice made by the Bangla speaking people of
Bangladesh on February 21, 1952, for the cause of
their mother tongue.
The theme of this year's IMLD encompasses various
languages, to help nurture conditions for
international understanding, tolerance and mutual
respect. A SANA representative spoke on the
occasion. A Sindhi cultural presentation was also
given for the day.
Annual SANA Southern Region Convention is being planned on March 19th, 2005 weekend
in Houston.
--------------------------------------
A PROFILE IN INSPIRATION..
(We think it will be appropriate on this 4th Anniversary of ABSMN to focus on an absmn individual who belongs to a very rare class of persons, and without whose dedication many of us may not have met our new friends and discovered our dear old ones. We are publishing his profile below without his knowledge and in his own words. The profile has been taken from his not so public web pages. Hopefully, he will not raise any objections...InTouch)
..
My life and times
I belong to the Talpur family of Mirpurkhas, Sindh. I am descendant of His Highness (The Lion of Sindh) Sher-i-Sindh Mir Sher Muhammad Khan Talpur who served the people of the independent Sindh as its last head of the State and pioneered the freedom struggle of the motherland, Sindh at the battleground of Dubbo on March 24th, 1843 by fighting a battle against British invaders, led by British East India Company's General Charles Napier.I took my early education in St. Michael's Convent in Mirpurkhas, followed by APWA and Government Comprehensive Schools in Mirpurkhas. I got my college education from Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai College, Mirpurkhas.Later I got my bachelors in medicine and surgery (MBBS) from Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro, (now Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences) then affiliated with the University of Sindh. I got my post graduate education in Health Systems Management from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.My partial switchover from role of a traditional doctor practicing medicine to managing health systems, working on social sector programs, and sustainable development initiatives is based on my obsession to contribute towards creating better living conditions for all human beings, in general, and poor and needy, in particular - especially belonging to my region. This obsession led me to have post graduate qualifications in health systems management and work in the Social sector programs. I am interested to work on research projects related to health, well-being or social and sustainable human development. If I got opportunity to serve humanity through research, I'll certainly go for it. I have some plans and I am working on them.After my graduation from medical college, I did internship in medicine and surgery and then some clinical practice in primary care. I am registered with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, and do devote some of my time to check poor patients of my area free of cost.Later, in mid-nineties, I joined the Social Action Program of Pakistan and worked as its Project Director at district level. I was mostly posted at district Hyderabad and it gave me a rich experience of working and coordinating with all federal and provincial departments and ministries, parliamentarians, members of provincial assemblies and cabinet ministers of Sindh province and the federal government hailing from the districts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot. This position enriched me with first hand experience of politics, governance, bureaucracy and human development. The Social Action Program also consisted of primary health component and I am satisfied that I effectively coordinated with the district heath authorities, the implementation of the primary healthcare plan in the district.My interests and hobbies have varied with time and circumstances. In the childhood, I played cricket with lots of enthusiasm and didn't miss any game being broadcasted live on the TV. I did play some football. badminton, volleyball, basketball and hockey but it was the cricket which was my main interest and it still catches my attention when I see any game being played and coming live on TV. During school days, I was fond of collecting postage stamps of foreign countries. I was also interested in collecting coins and other antiques. I can say I still love to collect antiques but it difficult to keep up with this hobby in this fast changing world. I do have lots of antiques of my own family which include few very old guns, including the gun of the Pioneer of our freedom struggle, Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur. Its a muzzle load gun in which gunpowder is filled from the front of the barrel. I have many other antiques including old documents and letters of prominent governing person of the British Raj, written to my grandfather and great grandfather. There are many other very old belongings of my family which I still have and these include a Royal Talpur's dress, including a peculiar 'Talpurs' cap and coat of my great grandfather. A sword belonging to my family elders is very old but not really in good condition. I have some of the oldest camera photograph of my great grandfather. When camera was invented, the British Queen, Victoria, sent a team of photographers to get photographs of the prominent personalities of the sub-continent. That team took photographs of my great grandfathers in the first quarter of 1860s. I still have those photographs with me. When I was in medical college and lived in Hyderabad, I often wrote "letters to the editor" of a prestigious newspaper of the country. Then, I started to write articles and occasionally got it published in Sindhi and English newspapers. My articles on many different issues have been published in Dawn, Hilal-i-Pakistan, Jago, Ibrat and Kawish newspapers. I have also posted some articles on this website as well.During my student life, I did go with my friends on hunting excursion in the Thar Desert, and hunted Chinkara deer, partridges, and other game birds. I also visited wetland of Sindh in for hunting waterfowl. Many time I also went with friends on hunting trips for Hubara Bustard and Great Indian Bustard as well. But I never felt comfortable with this interest and then gave it up entirely. I am now committed to preservation of flora, fauna, wildlife and environment.I like to read intellectual writings, books and see documentaries. My favorite poet in English is William Wordsworth as he was a keen observer of the nature and has depicted his observations very well in his poetry. Of course Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is my favorite poet in Sindhi language. I consider his sufi poetry as a great instrument to do away with the religious disharmony in our society. His mystical message is not limited for the people of Sindh but is a message for the whole humanity. While maintaining individuality, I think I do lean slightly to mysticism. I consider religion as a relation between individual and his Creator, with nobody having right to impose his own ideas of religion and culture on others. This is why I feel comfortable with people of diverse cultures and religions. As someone has said, different religions are like different rivers, all of which flow into the same ocean.I am fond of intellectual discussions and chats. I believe I am always a student who would gain something from such chats. I like to chat with very old knowledgeable person to get first hand information and their impression on their observations of those times when they were very young. In my opinion the development of human beings has been erratic and unsustainable throughout the ages. I have always tried to find the causes of this unsustainablity. I feel human beings are leading themselves towards their own premature demise. It is primarily because inadequate human mental and conceptual development. In pursuit of answer to my question I did got involved in a Canadian Institute of Human Mental and Conceptual Development. It was a nice experience and it helped me in attaining maturity in my mental and conceptual development. I launched an informal non-governmental organization with name, Sindh Society for Research and Development, for the furtherance of my interest in real sustainable development.I constantly keep in touch with the people of my area, where my farms and businesses are located. I keep in touch with them to help them solve their problems. I did take part in local bodies elections but could not succeed. Still those who did vote me come to me for their problems and I do my best to solve them. Part of my time is reserved for the people of my area. More lately, I have been involved formation of an environmental organization called "Asian Environmental Group". I am also involved in my personal businesses, managing our agriculture farms and real estate development and healthcare consultancy (Sindhcom). In free time, I either travel or update the Sindh WebSite, which I maintain. I am also collecting information from various sources for my project, The Royal Talpur's of Sindh. I want to compile a comprehensive book on the role of the Royal Talpurs in the history and heritage of the subcontinent. In this connection, I was invited by Italian University for holding a seminar for their students which I did in April 2004. Beside this, I moderate and coordinate American British Sindhi Medical Network and Indus Farming Network. A few times a year, I also publish magazine containing articles on sustainable development and health promotion. I distribute it among people of my area free of the cost. So far I have never accepted any financial donation in this regards. However, recently I received a set of medical journals (Lancet) (one year) from a medical researcher from UK. I handed over that set to Isra Medical University for benefit of their medical students.Thanks to visit my website, I have many friends in all parts of the world. I like traveling and have widely traveled within the country. I have been to Middle East, a few times and to Iran, Afghanistan, Singapore, Thailand and India. I have also been to Italy and France, more recently. Next on my wish-list are Bali, Malaysia, Spain and Australia...
I am attempting to learn parla italiana. Any help would be welcome!For family background, visit The Royal Talpur's of Sindh pages. For my photographs, click here.Still curious! ... then keep looking again and again for updates, here.
http://www.talpur.ws/
See my BLOG..., but its all informal!
Participation in "Deep Impact" Space Mission
Help blindness research. Support Foundation for Retinal Research. Thank you.
-----------------------------------------
THE E-MAIL THAT CHANGED ABSMN
It is said that a word spoken from the deepest corners of heart at a right moment
can move mountains. ABSMN used to be somewhat very silentforum until the posting below.
The subscriber below chose to have the courage to tell his very personal story just
to prevent other similar ordeals. In response to his e-mail many silent subscribers were
moved to think and a committee was formed by the LUMHS Administration to investigate
the incident under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ghulam Ali Memon. The committee has not
submitted its findings so far. Dr. Lohano may not have moved the mountain
but he surely change ABSMN for ever...Below is the original copy of his message
From: "vasdev lohano"
Date: Sun Nov 2, 2003 11:29 am
Subject: Wake up call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Dr.Talpur,
Its vey nice to see you and other friends trying to make a network and improve things for sindhi doctorts. I just wanted to share a personal tragdey that almost converted into diasaster if we had followed what docs at civil hospitsl hyderabad had suggested:
You know my parents live in Mirpurkhas, recently my brother went to mirpurkhas from karachi to bring them to karachi, near Tando Jam, my mom started have severe abdominal pain with nause and vomiting., they drove to civil hospital hyd as that was the only tertairy care hospital in the area and considering it is a university hopsital (perhaps for name sake only). Well when they got there they had to lay my mom in corridor on floor, no bed, no bedsheet and docs have thown the used needles all around (maybe due to unavailablity of sharp contianers or perhaps just as habit of being ignorant and careless) they even did not have BP monitor. When my brother asks them how do u guys check BP...they say they just estimate it by looking at patient..................this is 2003........ There was no stethoscape in the unit....nurses said docs bring them with them and unit doesnt have one.......well anyway they some how did decrease her pain and they diagnosed her with having "ACUTE APPENDICITIS" without ant investigation and recommended need for surgery. at that time there was my dad and my brother with her and they both are nonmedical professional. My other brother who is a physician in karachi was on his way as soon as he heard and they called him saying the need for surgery, he advised them to hold that and he will get there in an hour or so.In the mean time no investiagtion has been done at LIAQUAT MEDCIAL UNIVERSITY HOPSITAL........ just some pain control which we are thankfull to them.....when my brother got there he decided to move her to Aga Khan University in Karachi.
In ER of AKU,they drew labs and she had an Amylase of 1200 and with Ranson Criteria they diagnosed her with "Moderatley Acute Pancreatitis". She stayed ther for7-10 days treated conservativley , GOD helped no complication happened. She is at home now alive still with a nasojejunal feeding tube and hopefully will fully recover in next 7-10days. Let me also let you know that she has diabetes and hypertension also.
Now, if the docs at LUMH would have opened her up for Acute Appendicitis ...she would have been dead today....and I dont know how many poor patients are dying because they have no choice of going to a bettre place.
Now, let me ask you ...is this really we want to offer to our nation as healthcare. I have heard from my personal frinends that if you want your patients dead send them to hyderabad........for treatment.......thats a very thought provoking statement and there has to be some quality control and accountability form within, if not then they may have to face same thing from outside and I am sure thet wont like it.
I think healthcare situation in second biggest city of Sindh is a Diasaster and actions need to be taken to improve it urgently... Problem probably is not lack of knowledge , but probably the lack of clinical application of that knowledge for the benfit of patients and probably the willingness of physicians to do that. I dont know weather you have any role or not....probably not...but i just wanted to share this with everyone......as I think this is significant and should open the dialague to improve the situation.
Regards.
Vasdev Lohano, MD, FACE
SMC 1992
Indiana, USA.
----------------------------------------
Letter from Lahore.
Dear InTouch
This is to inform your Medical Network ABSMN that 1350 Members of Parliaments of 111 countries have made a joint network Parliamentarians for Global Action. It is engaged in action oriented initiatives that promote democracy, peace, justice and development. This includes parliamentarians from ruling parties as well as the opposition leaders. The first seminar was held in Pakistan on 14-15 January 2005. I attended it on behalf of Family Planning Association of Pakistan" with Dr Attiya Inayatuallah a well known personality, Member National Assembly and leader of FPAP."
It was a Sub-Regional Seminar of Parliamentarians Global Action for HIV/AIDS. High ranking Parliamentarians from several countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lank,UK, Denmark,Ghana,New Zealand, Senegal, Uganda, Thailand,Australia, Switzerland, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. etc. attended it. On the first day Prime Minister inaugurate the first session.
Anyway, apart from this being a VIP move, it is a revolutionary step that about more than 1300 parliamentarians from so many countries have joined hands in this global Action for HIV/AIDS/. They launched the move from Pakistan. Several leaders like Noor Jehan Panezai, Aitzaz Ahsan, Shehnaz Shaikh, Naveed Qamar, Tahmina DAultana, Mahmood Achakzai etc etc from Pakistan attended. It was collaborated with WHO, World Bank, UNAIDS, UNFPA, Aga Khan Foundation, UN Foundation and the Swiss, British, Canadian and Australian Governments. Dr Nafees Sadiq (UN envoy on HIV/AIDS) was also present.
The topics discussed in four sessions in two days were as follows:
1. Time to Act, HIV/AIDS Challenge in South Asia.
2. Elements of an effective Prevention Program.
3. Addressing the Needs of Women, Young people and Children
4. International Effect to scale up Treatment, Care and Support.
I could not get the soft copy of the final declaration.If I could get it, I will share it with you friends. The Seminars and declarations are regular features. I pray that this time, it is implemented also and it fetches some fruit for us.
Best Regards,
Dr Asif Mirza LMC (1971)
Lahore, Pakistan
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HUMOR
Dr. Mukesh Rangwani is from Mirpur Khas. He graduated from LMC in early 80s.Currently he is a Psychiatrist in Ohio where more than Psychiatry he is busy converting Democrats into rabid Republicans. He is socially active. so we asked him to send us some news from Ohio for InTouch. He was kind enough to send us instead, the following pictures depicting life in the cold country.
.
.
.
The CHANDRAAS as they proudly called themselves.In the black and white picture,standing L to R
: Khurshid Shaikh, Mazhar Lakho and Arshad Ali Shah. Sitting R to L are: Ghulam Kadir Sahito, Comrade Noor Ahmed Rajper and Shabir Akhund. Picture in color was taken in Swat during College tour 1975.it includes Shabir Akhund, Ghulam Kadir Sahito. and Fida Hussain Khojo.
Some from LMC Class of 77
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