History

 Post Graduate Medical Institute. Lahore (PGMI) was established in 1974 in the building of Experimental Medicine Department of King Edward Medical College. Lahore and Lahore General Hospital . Lahore (LGH) was affiliated to PGMI then. The aims and objectives of PGMI were to provide postgraduate medical education and training to doctors in both clinical and basic disciplines. New medical colleges were being opened at that time and there was an acute shortage of medical teachers then, particularly in basic medical science disciplines. In the initial years, PGMI admitted post graduate students in 23 various basic and clinical courses, and with the passing time a number of more courses were added. Presently, PGMI is running 60 courses in various disciplines of medical science, which includes 12 diplomas (minor qualification) and 48 degree courses (major qualification). This Institute caters not only the needs of the Punjab but also of other provinces like Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, Islamabad . FATA. Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit & Baltistan. PGMI has provided teaching and training facilities to the students from other countries like Sri Lanka , Nepal , Bangladesh , Afghanistan , Iran and Arab countries. PGMI. In this way PGMI has been strengthening ties of friendship with these countries and other provinces. Up till now more than 9384 students have been enrolled in PGMI and 3310 doctors have passed their postgraduate examinations.

Once Allama Iqbal Medical College moved out of the premises of its Birdwood Road Campus and Services Hospital to its new purpose built campus at new campus, Punjab University and Jinnah Hospital in 1995, the Birdwood Road Campus along with Services Hospital were handed over to PGMI. Thus PGMI has two affiliated Hospitals then i.e Services Hospital and Lahore General Hospital and Post Graduate Medical Institute was able to perform its duties of imparting post graduate teaching and training duties more efficiently. With the establishment of a new Undergraduate Medical College SIMS, Services Hospital was de-affiliated from PGMI and handed over to SIMS, Lahore General Hospital , Lahore was the sole affiliated hospital of PGMI then. Similarly Birdwood Road Campus building was also largely taken away from the PGMI. This seriously affected the post graduate teaching and training of the medical doctors. The blow came at a time when many new medical colleges were being announced and lots of trained doctors were leaving the country for better earning potentials and it was felt that there is a serious deficiency of trained medical teachers in the basic and clinical disciplines. PGMI kept the good work of teaching and training the future teachers and clinicians with its available meager resources. In 2010, with the strong persuasion of Prof Tariq Salah Ud Din, our visionary honourable Chief Minister, Mian Shahbaz Sharif handed over the building of Birdwood Road Campus back to the PGMI. This building is used to teach and train the students from various basic disciplines of medical science.

There are 33 basic and clinical departments in Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore and the institute is providing an optimal teaching and research facilities to its students.

Although PGMI has been developing post graduate syllabi and curriculum and has been teaching and training the post graduate students for various degree courses from its inception but PGMI was initially affiliated to University of the Punjab for final award of degrees and diplomas and later on with University of Health Sciences, Lahore in 2003. In order to facilitate the post graduate teaching and training and improve the standards of research, it is strongly felt that PGMI should be given a degree awarding status. Worthy Governor is requested to give a due consideration to this.

The Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore also publishes its own scientific journal i.e.  Pakistan Postgraduate Medical Institute journal, an accredited journal by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, Islamabad . An attempt is being made to uplift the standard of the journal, make it indexed and bring an impact factor to the publications. This is possible only, when the institute shall have a complete faculty, improved funding, and complete basic and clinical disciplines. Worthy Governor is requested that we require a digital library, library complex and an IT center.

Lahore General Hospital , Lahore was started in the redundant building of the Beggars' Home in 1957 and was initially used as a convalescent home for overlay patients of Mayo Hospital , Lahore and the hospital was affiliated to King Edward Medical College , Lahore . Beggar’s home Barracks were changed into clinical units with a low profile, terminal or destitute patients requiring nursing care. The hospital was far away from main city and not many clinical units flourished then. Still many clinical units are functioning in the beggar’s home barracks and worthy Governor is requested to please instruct the relevant quarters for provision of funds and speedy construction of remaining buildings, so that these clinical units may be shifted from their present premises to the purpose built clinical units included in the master plan.

During early 60's, Ratan Bagh Block of Mayo Hospital started to function and thus less and less number of patients used to be shifted to |Lahore General Hospital . At that time, strong Departments of Neurosurgery, Urology, General Medicine and General Surgery were started and a pioneer work in the research was started away from the hustle and bustle of main city. Since it was away from main city hence not much development work or funding was provided to the hospital although it provided an excellent service to the patients in particularly to the people suffering from neurosurgical trauma. With the affiliation of this hospital to PGMI in 1974, this hospital was given the status of a teaching hospital. Over the years, LGH remains the only soul mate of Post Graduate medical Institute, Lahore . In mid 80’s restructuring of the hospital was designed but unfortunately took more than 20 years to materialize. Presently, new building of the hospital is under construction, and construction completion deadlines have exceeded time and again for various reasons. Phase I, Phase II and Emergency Department buildings have already been completed. Phase I and SEM building is fully functional and phase II building is partly functional due to the lack of manpower and funds to properly equip and furnish various departments though with an intense and great effort by the worthy Principal, Prof Tariq Salah ud Din, all OPD’s, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Eye, ENT, Pediatrics and Administration have been shifted to this new building. Phase III, Phase IV and ancillary buildings are either under construction or in the planning to be built. With the completion of all the buildings, this hospital shall be able to house more than 1000 patients. Still many clinical units are functioning in the beggar’s home barracks and worthy Governor is requested to please instruct the relevant quarters for provision of funds and speedy construction of remaining buildings, so that these clinical units may be shifted from their present premises to the purpose built clinical units included in the master plan.

Punjab Institute of Neurosurgery (PIN) a mega project will be another feather in the cap of present government’s healthcare policy. The institute is being built at the cost of 5 billion rupees and will be able to house 500 patients providing latest treatment to the patients suffering from neurological diseases. This will be the largest regional centre providing an up to date neurological services for the province of Punjab and Pakistan . We are hoping to inaugurate the emergency block of Punjab Institute of Neurosciences by 30^th June 2011 .

New departments of Medical Education, Biostatistics, research and quality assurance are being added. 100 students under graduate medical school is being added to the banners of the Post Graduate Medical institute, which shall provide an all important strong junior healthcare provider team. The under graduate medical school is expected to be functional from the next academic year.

A nursing school is also affiliated to Lahore General Hospital , Lahore which is providing teaching and training to the nurses. An institute of nursing is the only way to improve the patient care, both medical and surgical and the institute of nursing is included in the Master Plan of PGMI/LGH. Worthy Governor is requested to instruct the relevant authorities to expedite the implementation of PC – I/ Master Plan.

First convocation of PGMI was held on 24-04-1980 , organized by Dr. Ijaz-ul-Hassan. Second convocation took place on 22-04-1999 , and was organized by Prof. Dr. Latif Malik. The 3^rd convocation was held in 2010 and was organized by Prof. Dr. Nazir Ahmad after a long delay. 4^th convocation of PGMI is being held in 2011 with an attempt to award the diplomas and degrees to 95 students in the required decorum of an institute like PGMI, and we endeavor to do the convocations at the required intervals.

In the back ground of 37 years long experience of post graduate teaching and training in the basic and clinical medical disciplines, track record of an optimal clinical service to the patients despite of all the handicaps that the PGMI/LGH has suffered in all these years, strong research credentials, improved building, better clinical units, additional basic and clinical departments, and an expected addition of an under graduate medical school in the next academic year, Administration is requested to award the degree awarding status, manpower in paramedics, nurses, and faculty according to the approved PC – I’s/ master plan of the institute and hospital. Administration is also requested to provide funds for digital library, early completion of the buildings and its furnishing. Governor is also requested to instruct the relevant authorities for an improved physical access to the hospital, better flow of traffic and an improved security status.