For people where there is no medical facility available and who don’t have financial and social access to the urban quality health providing facilities, should have somewhere to go when they are in dire need of good health care at very reasonable rates, he said. This would not be a commercial venture and would include a university and school which would be offering quality education.
Presently some 2,000 students belonging to Gharo, Surjani Town and Khuda ki Basti are being provided free education, books and uniforms. The new facility would be in addition to the present one, he added. “I am just trying to pay back some of the debt I owe to Pakistan and Quaid-e-Azam,” he remarked.
Dr. Baqai narrating his story about how he got approval for setting up the first medical college of the country that opened the way for private sector to supplement the government efforts to provide education to the masses in different spheres, said it was really a fight that he had fought and won.
“I floated the idea in 1974 that private sector should step forward to provide medical education and it took 14 years for the bureaucracy to digest it and indirect help of the then Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr. Mahboob-Ul-Haq, provided an opportunity to Dr. Baqai to move the authorities and make his dream come true.” Due to financial constraints, Dr. Mahboob-ul-Haq pointed out in the 5 years plan that the government will not open any new medical college, while the need for more medical colleges was being felt by everyone. The increasing population and lack of doctors was an open secret. This was the turning point for the private sector to enter into the arena of education, he observed. “I don’t talk about any other college or university but I am proud that we have created an educational environment, which is matchless in the private sector. The Baqai Medical University has vast grounds, lecture halls and auditorium, enough covered and open space, library, fully equipped hospital and operation theatres and above all highly capable and learned faculty with teacher to student ratio of 1 to 1.” Putting a counter question he asked which of the private university or institutions has such facilities? Talking about higher standards maintained by his university, he said “the Baqai Medical University from its inception introduced interview of the student at the time of admission which is followed by another interview with his parents besides entry test. We want to ensure that the students are from good, decent families as it leaves very lasting impact on the personality of the student. To ensure the quality education and prepare doctors of higher calibre, we drop all those students who fail to keep up with the rest of the class in the first year of the education.”
Expressing his gratitude to the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said he hailed from Delhi and there were only two seats for whole of Delhi in King Edward Medical College. After the creation of Pakistan, my family moved to Pakistan and I got admission in the Dow Medical College, he said adding that whatever I am today and whatever I have got, I owe it to Pakistan and Quaid-e-Azam.”
Dr. Baqai said that the education department and Higher Education Commission has already commended the services of the university, which he added was a proof of high quality and standards of the Baqai University. He said that his university offers full and half financing for the medical education to its deserving students. “We extended financial help to the students last year to the tune of Rs10 million and try that the hardworking competent and deserving students are not deprived of quality education only on the basis of their inability to pay for the education.” Responding to a query, Dr. Baqai said that his university is focusing on its own students and faculty and has not offered any services to the students of other universities and medical colleges for improvement of their skills. “We might think on these lines later after expansion of the facilities we are offering to our students,” he remarked.