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Rs 9.8b allocated for public sector universities

KARACHI: Rs 9.8 billion have been allocated for 91 different mega projects at public sector universities across the province, said Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Medical Research City held Friday at Ojha Campus of the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS).

Ibad said the federal and provincial governments were equally committed towards the promotion of education and other public development aspects. “The national annual development fund which was Rs 4.09 billion some four to five years ago has now risen to more than Rs 34 billion,” he said. Budgetary allocation for higher education and research had also surged from 0.2 percent of the annual budgetary allocation to two percent. Higher education was one of the government’s top priorities at both federal and provincial levels and efforts to invest Rs 25 billion to Rs 30 billion were underway in each public sector university.

“Previously we used to register that a mere 35 percent to 40 percent of the allocated sum was released to the relevant institutions. Almost 100 percent release is now made through a fool-proof system.”

He also appreciated the record progress made by DUHS within three years.

Ibad referred to the establishment of the largest digital library in the country at DUHS and also the International Medical College for overseas Pakistani children. Money will also be donated to strengthen development activities there.

He later inaugurated the DUHS Medical Research City with Dow Diagnostic Reference and Research Laboratories and Jinnah Genome Centre as its important components. He also laid the foundation stone for a library and sports complex which houses different constituent institutions of the university.

The medical research city will be one of its kind, providing medical research and treatment facilities under one roof, said DUHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Masood Hameed Khan. He expressed his gratitude to the Higher Education Commission for its support in materialising the project.

DUHS Nursing Institute and Institute of Medical Technology, a 500-bed hospital, Jinnah Genome Centre, Dow International Medical College, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Dow University Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinological Diseases, the library block and the sports complex are some of the projects undertaken by the university, said Hameed.

Dow Institute of Health Management Sciences was providing new means of education, training and employment for young doctors, pharmacists and other medical professionals.

Dow Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology was making fast progress in starting PhD and MPhil programmes while DUHS had already sent some of its graduates for the programmes. Medical Research City will provide opportunities for medical research and clinical trials to the pharmaceutical industry and medical professionals in accordance with the specific health status, environment and prevalent conditions of the common man.

DUHS and Ojha Institute Director Programmes Prof. Zeenat Ayub, Sindh Governor’s Principal Secretary Salim Khan, DMC Principal Dr Salahuddin Afsar, SMC Principal Dr Tariq Shariatullah and other faculty members and students of the university were also present at the ceremony. app

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