LAHORE - Senior Neurosurgeon Prof Khalid Mahmood is likely to head first dedicated centre for Neurology, Punjab Institute of Neuroscience.
Four member search committee headed by Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Prof Khalid Massod Gondal has short listed three from list of 10 senior most neurosurgeons in the province, putting name of Prof Khalid Mahmood on top of list for the first ever Executive Director of the institute after getting autonomous status.
Other members of the search committee constituted on the direction of the Chief Justice of Pakistan included ex-Principal Postgraduate Medical Institute/Ameer-ud-Din Medical College Prof Anjum Habib Vohra, Head of Neurology KEMU/Mayo Hospital Prof Athar Javed and one representative of Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education.
The committee has placed name of Head of Neurosurgery Unit-1, PGMI/AMC, Prof Rizwan Masood Butt on number two and that of Head of Neurosurgery KEMU/Mayo Hospital Prof Shehzad Shamas on number three for the top slot of autonomous PINS, previously a part of Lahore General Hospital.
Complying with the direction of CJP given during his visit of LGH in June, the Punjab Cabinet has approved giving autonomous status to PINS after fulfilling the legal requirements of approval from the Law Department.
Prof Khalid Mahmood is Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow previously worked as Principal PGMI/AMC. His expertise is in endoscopic brain surgery, complex spinal and endoscopic disc surgery and minimal invasive brain tumors surgery. He is pioneer of Deep Brain Stimulation technique for Parkinson’s disease.
Establishment of a dedicated institute for neurology was suggested by some prominent neurosurgeons over a decade ago for reducing burden on LGH taking neurology cases not only from Lahore but from across the country.
PPGMI/LGH has been run by Prof Nazir Ahmed, Prof Tariq Salahuddin, Prof Anjum Habib Vohra and Prof Khalid Mahmood, after the idea was floated.
PINS will have separate faculty and provide postgraduate training to 120 doctors annually. PINS deals in 10 disciplines including Neurosurgery, Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neuropathology, Paeds Surgery, Spinal Surgery, Anaesthesia, Radiology and Speech Therapy all under one roof in a 10 storey purpose built building. The facilities include parking for 100 cars in two basements, four Neurosurgery Units (50-bed each), three High Dependency Units (three-bed each), a state-of-the-art Spinal Unit (the only such facility in public sector), 10 well equipped modern Operation Theatres, a skill lab and conference room with a capacity to accommodate 500 guests.
