UHS pioneer VC dies

LAHORE:The first Vice Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Professor Malik Hussain Mubbashar, died of a heart attack in Islamabad on Monday. He was 75.

Professor Mubbashar remained the Vice Chancellor of the UHS from 2003 to 2012. He was one of the world's leading psychiatrists. Before joining UHS, he served as the Principal of Rawalpindi Medical College. He also spent some years as one of the members of UHS Board of Governors. He was a highly acclaimed psychiatrist, academician, research scholar and medical educationist. He had around 40 years’ experience of teaching and practicing psychiatry, with more than 100 publications in national and international journals to his credit. He was also an author of 28 books.

He also held the chair of the Global Mental Health Network based at the World Bank, Washington. He was a member of WHO Expert Committee on Mental Health and Drug Dependence, regional coordinator of Eastern Mediterranean region, International Consortium on Mental Health Policy and Services. In recognition of his services, the government of Pakistan awarded him Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-e-Imtiaz.

He is survived by a wife, two sons and five daughters. UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Javed Akram, faculty and staff expressed grief over the demise of Prof. Mubbashar and termed it as a great loss to the medical profession. Prof. Javed Akram in his message said that the services of Prof. Malik Hussain Mubbashar for UHS would always be remembered.