Professor Minhas retires as Head of Institute of Psychiatry

Rawalpindi

Saturday, the 29th of April, 2017 marked Professor Fareed A. Minhas’ last day in office after 35 years of distinguished clinical, academic and public service. He served as the Head of Institute of Psychiatry & World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Training and Research at Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Professor at Rawalpindi Medical College for 15 years.

Professor Minhas who retired as the Head of the Institute of Psychiatry started his last day at office by chairing the morning meeting. He heard from the duty doctors about the happenings in the psychiatric emergency and the ward during the past day. Dr. Asif Kamal, Head of Psychiatry Department at Gajju Khan Medical College, Swabi and a former trainee of Professor Minhas specially came to attend the morning meeting and presented a bouquet of flowers to one of the top psychiatrists in Pakistan.

Professor Minhas then proceeded to his office to tend to some official work. This was followed by a team round in the academic room.

He then proceeded to the wards to bid farewell to the nursing staff thanking them for their support and work. He went from bed to bed inquiring to the progress of the patients. One of the patients, Razzaq, the longest-serving ward boy of the Institute of Psychiatry, admitted after sustaining stroke. He reminisced with him about old times, informed him of his retirement, and appreciated his efforts through the years.

During the course of these proceedings consultant psychiatrists and former trainees at the institute Dr. Shahid Khan, Dr. Zainullah Khan, Dr. Nadeem Bhatti, and Dr. Aaliya Hayat came to pay their tributes to Professor Minhas. They went around the institute getting pictures taken with the legend. The newly designated Tariq Saraf Lecture Theatre, Malik Mubbashar Library, and Fareed Minhas Conference Room were unveiled with a photo session.

Professor Minhas then went to the outpatient department for the last time as head of the institute to tend to a few of his regular patients. He reassured his patients that their follow-ups will be in the hands of capable and reliable doctors trained under his personal supervision.

In honor of his last day, Professor Minhas arranged for a gathering in the newly designated Tariq Saraf Lecture Theatre. The session hosted the entire Institute of Psychiatry staff; administrative team, ward staff, nursing staff, psychologists, house officers, post-graduate residents and consultants.

The program ensued with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Asad Nizami then paid his tribute to Professor Minhas acknowledging his plethora of contributions. He then opened the house for everyone to say anything they wanted to say about Professor Minhas.

Everyone who spoke lauded Professor Minhas’ contributions not only as a psychiatrist and a teacher but also as a human being. He was appreciated by many as a father figure; as a consolation in their toughest times during life and training. All his former trainees hailed him as the reason for their success in life. Some of them shared that they may have left the profession had it not been for Professor Minhas.

Professor Minhas began his talk appreciating everyone's sentiments. I was told to respect my teachers like my parents and that is one of the reasons for my success. I realized whenever I disagreed with mentors I ended up being wrong. I saw early in my career that to master yourself you have to give yourself to the master, he said.

My conviction to follow what Professor Mubbashar, the founder of the institute said, was key to my success in life, he added.

When Professor Mubbashar left I had very big shoes to fill, he continued. From whatever I learnt from him, I have not changed anything, only delivered it in a different way, he said.

He thanked the speakers for their kind words and said that you have reminded me of things I had forgotten I had done and that it is consoling to know that I have been able to influence lives in such positive ways. One of my principles’, he said, has been to do no harm and help everyone as much as I can. The experiences everyone has had are a testimony to my success on having been able to live these principles, he said.

Appreciating his administrative staff, he said they respected and supported him without having any vested interests with respect to their careers. “I have garnered many relationships with all my staff and colleagues during the course of my career and these have made me from an ordinary man to a very special person.”

He paid homage to the nursing staff saying that they are the backbone of our Institute. I am grateful to all of you, he said.

Psychologists, he said, have been very important for us. The relationship between psychiatry and psychology has been very strained traditionally, but we have been able to have a fruitful interaction. Especially in research their support has been indispensable, he added.

Addressing his former trainees, he said that all of you spent four years with me. Every one of you had ups and downs in your lives and you mentioned how I supported you therein, he remarked. But the support you have given me went unmentioned, he added, you gave me a purpose; your success brought me an unmatched contentment.

Turning to the 22 trainees currently at the Institute, he told them not to be concerned by his departure at all. I hold myself responsible for you until you have cleared your exams, regardless of when that is, he promised.

He said he realized five years back that this day was to come. I withdrew myself from multiple responsibilities so as to empower you and I am confident that I have left the institute in safe hands, he said.

You have two responsibilities, he told his staff; to sustain the ongoing activities and to develop them even further. With that he thanked everyone and the entire audience stood up in respect of the legend and broke down into a thunderous applause.

The audience was ushered to the unveiling of the History Wall of the Institute. The wall had the history of the institute, Professor Minhas’ message to the staff, and the evolution of the infrastructure of the institute. A du'a for the acceptance of the efforts was made along with the unveiling. The staff and patients were then invited to a special lunch hosted by Professor Minhas.

The day concluded with Professor Minhas being presented with bouquets of flowers and the staff saw off the legend as he drove away leaving them indebted.