History of K.E.M.C
K.E.M.C HISTORY
19th century:
Idea for the establishment of
a medical college for the undivided Punjab was placed before the Imperial
Government but could not materialise principally due to the War of Independence.
Keeping in view both the necessity of such a college and the financial
constraints, the Lahore Medical School was established.
Dr.J.B. Scriven of General Hospital, Calcutta was nominated the Principal
of the school.
October 1860:
Admissions were opened for separate courses in English and Hindi. The lowest qualification
set for admission was matriculation. Initially the teaching staff included
a Principal and a Professor.
1868:
The Senate of the University
of Dublin granted students of the Lahore Medical School “privileges similar
to those granted to students from English Schools,” who have not passed
the College of Surgeons of England.
1870:
Mayo Hospital was completed in 1870 and was opened
in 1871. It was named after the Earl of Mayo, the then Viceroy. Meanwhile the Lahore Medical School was shifted
to the Railway Hostel near the Mayo Hospital.
Punjab University opened in 1870 and the responsibility of
conducting exams and granting diplomas was entrusted to the University.
1871:
The recognition the college had increased. 190 admission applications were received for only 40 seats.
1872:
Midwifery and Nursing classes were introduced.
1887:
A dissection
room was constructed by J .E. Hilton, Executive Engineer, Lahore .
Lady Atchison Hospital was also created.
1888:
The first college day was held in the college library on the 5th of
November.
1889:
“Lady Lyall’s Home” was founded which
could accommodate 30 ladies.
1892:
Number of students increased to 322 and an additional
Professor for the Chair of Materia Medica (now known as Pharmacology department)
and Pathology was appointed which raised the total number of professors
to eight as compared to fourteen in Calcutta college at that time.
1893:
The lowest qualification set for admission was increased from matriculation
to intermediate.
1895:
A Post-mortem theatre and a small
two room Pathology laboratory was built. A training class for the
“Ward-boys” and “Compounders” was also introduced.
1906-1910:
Separate
departments of Materia -medica, Hygiene and Midwifery were created.
July 31,1910:
A public meeting approved
the proposals for the construction of a new bigger Medical College and
the expansion of its attached hospitals: the Mayo, the Albert Victor and
the Lady Aitchison.
December 21, 1911:
The college was named as King Edward Medical College.
1914:
Work started on the King Edward Medical College extension project. The research block comprised of the new Pathology, Physiology and
Hygiene departments.
November 10,1915:
The Viceroy Lord Hardinge of Penhurst inaugurated
the main block. Extensions to the Materia-Medica
and Anatomy block were also completed. The new King Edward Medical College
comprised of:-
a) Patiala administrative offices, a large library-cum-examination
hall, four lecture theatres, a museum, a council room and common rooms
for staff and students.
b) Bahawalpur Block: the Pathology department on the ground floor
and Physiology department on the first floor, each with a lecture theatre,
practical classrooms, work rooms, etc. Rooms on the first floor were reserved
for the Hygiene Department.
c) Faridkot Block: a complete unit for teaching Anatomy.
d) Kapurthala Block: the department of Materia-Medica.
e) A cold storage block with separate Pathology and Post-mortem
theatres.
1920:
Tutorial classes were started. In view of an ever increasing
number of students, scarcity of dead bodies for dissection etc., the school
was shifted to Amritsar.
1933:
Lady Willingdon Hospital
was completed by 1933.
1935:
The college celebrated the completion of its seventy
five years of existence extravagantly, without any monetary assistance
on behalf of the Government.
1936:
The college was recognized for the M.B.B.S.(Bachelors in Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery)
degree by the General Medical Council of Great Britain.
The D.L.O.
postgraduate course and the B.D.S. degree were also instituted.
1937-1938:
Materia-Medica block was extended and the Embryology
section started to funcion.
1948:
With the opening of Fatima Jinnah Medical College, admission
of female students in KEMC was stopped. Post- graduate training
for D.O., D.G.O., D.M.R.T., and T.D.D. was instituted. The Department of
Paediatrics was also established.
1956:
The department of Orthopaedic Surgery was created by
Dr. Ayyub Ahmad Khan.
As a token of academic and professional excellence, Tamgha-i-Pakisatn
was awarded to Professors M.A. Pirzada and Amirudin.
At the completion of its hundred years of existence, the college had
a turnover of about 100 students annually, with 697 men and 55 women undergraduates
on the rolls, alongwith 20 postgraduate students. The Mayo Hospital now
had 800 beds and Lady willington Hospital 100 beds. The library had 16,
173 books and a reading room. Four men’s and one women’s hostel housed
401 and 27 hostelites respectively, plus 9 postgraduate residents.
1959:
The post of Principal was renamed as the Chairman Academic Council.
During this era the following new buildings were constructed:-
a) Outpatient department in Rattan Bagh.
b) 50-bed children hospital
c) A wing of A.V.H. to house 32 patients.
d) Lahore General Hospital
e) Radium Institute.
1960:
The King Edward Medical College has been actively engaged in post graduate
studies also, and after 1960, emphasis was placed on diploma courses leading
to postgraduate qualifications. These courses and training programs have
led to the following diplomas: M.D., M.S., D.M.R.E., D.T.C.D., D.L.O.,
D.O.M.S., D.A., D.C.P., D.M.R.T., D.M.R.D., D.G.O. and F.C.P.S. Part I.
1961:
A six months preparatory course for primary F.R.C.S was
instituted . The course lasted for 4 years and out of a total of
211 candidates, 87 passed the primary F.R.C.S. of the Royal College of
Surgeons, England.
It was largely due to the foresight of Professor Riaz-e-Qadeer as Principal
of the college, that specialty departments such as Orthopaedics, Cardiac
Surgery, Urology, Chest Surgery and Neuro-surgery on the surgical side
and Tuberculosis and Chest diseases, Cardiology, Dermatology and Neurology
on the medical side were created, distinguishing King Edward Medical College
from other teaching institutions in Pakistan.
In the era of Principal Hameed Sheikh, the institute of experimental
medicine and an animal house were constructed which later saw the addition
of the Postgraduate Institute as well. A Lending Library was erected for
the poor and needy. A department of Neuro-surgery was also added.
1969-1972:
Under supervision of Prof. Sardar Ali Shiekh and later Prof.N.A. Seyal, New Hostel for
boys and a Girls Hostel, an Electron microscope and cold storage plant for Anatomy Dept, an
auditorium, a mosque, Departments of community medicine, Forensic Medicine and an additional
medical unit were added to existing college.
1976:
King Edward Medical College hosted a convention of medical teachers from all over
Pakistan, it lasted for 3 days.
February 23,1978:
College convention was held.
1980:
In order to regularise the examination system, steps were
taken to restrict the course of MBBS to five years compared to seven years
earlier. The first KEMC Alumni symposium was also held in March.
December 1985:
The 125 years celebrations
of King Edward Medical College, Lahore took place. The Patiala block
was extended and the college building was renovated.
1986-1991:
During 1986-89, college was extended and equipped with modern gadgets including Audio-visual
library and fine communication network.
After many years of work, Jilani Pavilion was completed. In 1988, a reading room was
constructed over the Canteen by joint efforts of Principal and Prof. Ijaz Ahsan, Chairman of Library
Committee at that time.
Purchase of a diagnostic electron microscope for the Pathology department
and various equipment for the Departments of Basic Sciences and Department
of Research were facilitated. Transformers were installed in Patiala Block
and Basic Departments. In 1990-91, the building vacated by P.G.M.I. was
renovated and a project for training of students in Preventive Paediatrics
was initiated. Air conditioning facilities were provided for the main Library
Hall and the Patiala Block. Additional books for the library, and computers
for the Computer Cell of college were purchased. To apprise the students
of the advancement in computer sciences, computer courses were initiated.
Steps were taken to avoid undue wastage of time before admissions were
opened as well as reduce the number of seats in first year.
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