ALLAMA IQBAL MEDICAL COLLEGE HISTORY
The Pakistan Government’s initiative in the mid-seventies to establish new seats of learning to spur medical education and research in Pakistan helped to materialize the aspirations of the teachers to open new vistas for community-oriented medical education. Consequently, this institution was established on May 2, 1975, as Lahore Medical College.
Dr. Akhter Hussain Awan was the first Principal when the College started functioning at Birdwood Road, Lahore. Dr. Muhammad Afzal Sheikh was the first Professor of Anatomy, while Prof. Dr. Mahmood Ali Malik and the late Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar laid the framework of the Physiology Department. Dr. Sanaullah was the first Administrative Officer leading a competent team comprising Mr. Mian Nazir Ahmed, Mr. Zeeshan Awan, and Mr. Mirza Muhammad Jamil.
On August 12, 1975, a batch of three hundred and thirteen students began their first academic day of what were to become the glorious traditions of a great institution. Two years later, the College was renamed Allama Iqbal Medical College to commemorate the centenary celebrations of the great philosopher. Meanwhile, in 1980, the final plan for Allama Iqbal Medical College Complex was agreed upon, and its foundation stone was laid in March 1980. The college complex was inaugurated by then-President Ghulam Ishaque Khan on May 18, 1989. The work on 1100 bedded Jinnah Hospital started in 1988.
Initially, the Services Hospital was affiliated with AIMC, but later as the College moved into its present campus in 1990, Jinnah Hospital was built as a dedicated teaching hospital. The Hospital started functioning in 1994 when the OPD was opened. Soon the department of Radiology, Radiotherapy, and Pathology started working. The emergency and casualty department was opened to the public on March 23, 1995, and the Diabetes Clinic was started on May 28, 1995.
Jinnah Hospital was officially inaugurated on February 2, 1996, by the then Prime Minister, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, reflecting the importance which the Government attaches to the provision of health opportunities to the community.
Today Allama Iqbal Medical College Complex has a vast, beautiful campus, spread over an area of 103 acres on the canal comprising the basic departments, administrative block, library and fountain pavilion, well-equipped modern lecture theatre complex, and cafeteria. It provides a residential facility for 1000 medical students, 200 internees, and 500 nurses and a colony comprising 200 houses for the employees.
For the purpose of extra- and co-curricular activities, a sports complex including separate gymnasiums for boys and girls, a swimming pool, tennis courts, hockey and cricket grounds, and an elegant auditorium with a seating capacity of 1000 have also been built.
This illustrious Complex is meeting with all the requirements of the students of Allama Iqbal Medical College at under- and post-graduate levels, and a large number of patients are benefiting from it as it provides treatment in all major fields of medicine. With the cooperation of the Government and the dedication of our teachers, and the commitment of our students, we intend to become the center of excellence in service for the community.
AIMCAANA HISTORY
Allama Iqbal Medical College Alumni Association of North America (AIMCAANA) was recognized in 1997 during the annual summer meeting of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) in New York. The alumni first un-official meeting was called by Dr. Atique A. Mirza in his hotel room. Dr. Mirza wrote the first constitution and bylaws, which were presented to APPNA in the summer meeting and AIMCAANA was officially incorporated as a component society of the APPNA. Dr. Mirza was chosen as the founding president and continued to work as president for the first four years making his home as alumni‘s first office. He started AIMCAANA’s first website and opened Alumni’s first bank account.
In 2000, the general body at the Atlanta summer meeting elected a new team of officers, Dr. Jalil A. Khan from Texas as president and Dr. Mahmood Alam from New York as president elect. Dr. Mirza worked hard to organize a winter meeting for the first time in the history of APPNA at our college on Silver Jubilee Anniversary of AIMC. Iqbalians were able to offer a state of the art CME program and brought AIMCAANA into the limelight.
In 2001, during his presidency, Dr. Jalil Khan updated the website, established a contact place for the members in his office at Flower Mound, Texas, expanded alumni bank account and also started to collect data of Iqbalians in USA. In July 2001, he invited AIMC Principal, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, to the annual meeting of the alumni in Chicago and further fosters the relationship with AIMC. Dr. Mahmood Alam presented the new bylaws for the association and new officers were elected.
The APPNA annual meeting in 2002 was a landmark in the history of AIMCAANA due to efforts of Dr. Mahmood Alam. Dr. Eice M. Khan, then CEO and dean of AIMC, was the chief guest with more than 60 members participated in the dinner and general body meeting, thus setting a new attendance record. AIMCAANA membership rolls stand at an all time high of 200 members. New officers were elected and approved the establishment of the executive office of alumni at Flower Mound, Texas, under the supervision of Dr. Jalil khan as Executive Director. Drs. Mumtaz Alvi, Jalil khan, and Atique A. Mirza were approved trustees of the association. The proposal to establish “Iqbalians Educational Trust Fund” was unanimously approved.
In 2003, AIMCAANA emerged as a vibrant body of Iqbalians. Dr. Mahmood Alam and Dr. Sajid Chaudhary became members of the APPNA task force for visa problems. Dr. Chaudhary, president 2003, arranged a successful annual summer meeting in Orlando at Gaylord Palms Florida. General body approved the establishment of “AIMCAANA SCHOLARSHIP FUND” and many Iqbalians pledged $ 1000 each for the fund. Dr. Sajid Chaudhary also initiated Iqbalian’s E- list iqbaliansalumni@yahoo.com that attracted AIMC graduates across the globe.
The APPNA 2006 annual meeting saw Iqbalians progressing to another level showing true compassion, when within a few minutes AIMCAANA members pledged $175,000 for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center. This big achievement was result of then executive council and Dr Asad Qamar then president‘s hard work and perseverance to convince Imran Khan to become the chief guest.
Dr. Ashraf Sabhat president AIMCAANA 2007 continued the path to progress with another well attended successful meeting in Orlando. This year alumni reached another landmark when it conducted its first ever election using mail balloting. The progress continued in 2008 with another update to website, online iqbalians directory and publication of alumni’s first official newsletter AIMCAANA CONNECTION.
A new group of volunteers in 2008-13 injected more vigor and energy in AIMCAANA, under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Baber Cheema (2008), Rizwan Akhter (2009), Tahir Latif (2010), Khurram Nazir (2011), Abid Hussain (2012) and Khadim Husain (2013) AIMCAANA achieved several new milestones of collective social activism. Between 2008 to 2013 alumni contributed over $250,000 and almost $150, 000 were spent completing several projects not only in Pakistan but also in our adopted homeland.
These projects include providing audience response system to enhance the learning of AIMC students, Scholarships to deserving and bright students, renovation of Doctors Library at Jiannah Hospital, Qurze- Hasna and continued support of Iqbalian house in Philadelphia to help young Iqbalians who come to US in pursuit of electives, exams, externships and residency interviews. After hearing from Javed Chaudhry (a renowned journalist and TV anchor, Kal Tak fame) about the story of a brave student at AIMC, Jawad Bhatti, who had suffered from Polio and is severely limited in her abilities to ambulate, A car was purchased, altered according to his physical needs and handed over to him recognizing his courage and determination that in spite of his physical handicap fulfilled his dream to be a physician. As appreciation to AIMC employees, books and winter blazers were provided to their kids at Jinnah public school. All the children at the school were protected from especially harsh winters last year. New mattresses for hospital beds were provided to OBGYN ward at Jinnah Hospital to improve patient care at Jinnah hospital Lahore and they will receive state-of-the-art machines to monitor the well being of fetuses during high-risk pregnancies.
The two extraordinary projects that make us especially proud are establishment of the Jinnah Allama Iqbal Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (JAIDE) and outpatient chemotherapy infusion room. These projects not only provide great educational and training opportunities to students, house officers and post graduate trainees but also provide great care to needy and deserving patients every day. Several of our members have devoted and volunteered their time to teach and train these students, house officers and postgraduate trainees during their vacations while visiting Pakistan.
In 2014, AIMCAANA took another step for helping poor patients at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore and announced that it will provide medicine free of cost to the needy patients in medical unit-I. Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary, head of the department of medical unit-I and his team assure that the free medicines are only provided to the needy patients. Also in 2014, AIMCAANA achieved 501c3 status through IRS and since then AIMCAANA has been independently maintaining its finances through professional CPA and fulfilling all the requirements of IRS.
Last year (2015), AIMCAANA’s Pakistan based team with the name of PAIWS (Pakistani American Iqbalian Welfare Society) was successfully registered as an NGO in Pakistan under the leadership of Mr Muhammad Aslam Khan who has done a tremendous amount of humanitarian work in Pakistan for AIMCAANA especially in Jinnah hospital and Allama Iqbal Medical College.
This year (2016), AIMCAANA has successfully fulfilled all the requirements and is ready to ship its first full container of medical equipment to Jinnah hospital, Lahore in collaboration with MedWish, a not-for-profit organization based in USA. AIMCAANA also announced Merit Scholarship award to first three students of Allama Iqbal medical college in each professional year in 2016.
