PROFESSOR DR. MUHAMMAD AFZAL FAROOQI
( 23/03/1953 TO 06/10/2014)
Prof. Dr. M. Afzal Farooqi was born in Distt. Hafizabad on 23rd March 1953. He did his MBBS from King Edward Medical College, Lahore in November 1976 and FRCS from Royal College of Edinburgh, UK in January 1982. He started his career at King Edward Medical College, Lahore till August 1983 when he came to Rawalpindi Medical College as Assistant Professor and Head of Urology Dept. The Urology department at RMC was practically non-existent both in terms of staff as well as infrastructure. Prof. Farooqi struggled day and night to get a proper ward for Urology dept., recruit staff, create seats and procure equipment for the department. Due to his tireless efforts the department was shifted to its current location with its own state of the art operation theatres, dialysis unit and lithotripsy suit. The dialysis unit alone catered 8000 dialyses per annum. He was promoted as Associate Professor in 1991 and Professor in 1996. It was his efforts that the Punjab Govt. sanctioned the purchase of Extra Corporeal Shockwave Lithotripter (ESWL) from France in 1998.
He supervised many candidates in their post graduate training all of whom now hold the reins of Urology Dept. at RMC as senior consultants. He not only got his department accredited for FCPS Urology, but also was the first to bring MS/MD programme in RMC when he got the Urology Dept. RMC recognized for MS Urology (UHS) training. He was Convener and Examiner for FCPS Urology and examiner for MS Urology in Punjab University Lahore and Quaid e Azam University Islamabad. He was secretary general and instrumental in organizing the First International Scientific Conference of RMC in 1998. He was awarded FCPS Urology in 2003 in recognition of his services to the profession. He was a member of Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU) and the Founder President of Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons (PAUS) (Rwp/Isb Chapter). He served as Principal of Rawalpindi Medical College & Allied Hospitals from 16/03/2010 to 12/01/2012 and 29/11/2012 to 12/03/2013. During his tenure as Principal, he not only looked after the planning and construction of Rawalpindi
Institute of Cardiology but also planned and designed Rawalpindi Institute of Urology & transplantation which is first of its nature in Punjab & only second in Pakistan. He got RMC recognized for 350 MBBS admissions from PMDC and also got approval for four new lecture theatres. In 2011, the female students felt extreme difficulty due to acute shortage of hostel accommodation, partly caused by a state institution (NAB), who had occupied half of the girls hostel since 11 years. Prof. Farooqi felt the pain of the students and led a massive campaign which also led to involvement of the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court but finally resulted in RMC getting back control of its girls hostel.
Prof. Dr. M. Afzal Farooqi left for heavenly abode on 6th October 2014, on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha. He lives on in the hearts and memories of many especially his family, friends, colleagues, students and patients. His is remembered most by his quote which summarizes his struggle : “I came to this institution with a broken cystoscope and I leave with a state-of-the-art Institute of Urology” (Prof. Farooqi, in his Farewell speech during RMC annual dinner, March,2013)