Fatima Jinnah Medical University traces its origins to 1941, and today stands as Pakistan’s only medical university offering the MBBS degree programme exclusively for women.

• 1941The Punjab Medical Education and Relief Society is formed with 100 founder members, with the aim of establishing a medical college.
• 1942Balak Ram Medical College begins teaching with a batch of 50 students — 44 men and 6 women — admitted strictly on merit. Col. D. H. Rai becomes its first Principal.
• 1946The Anatomy and Physiology blocks are opened by Shrimati Sarojini Naidu on 6 January. The Anatomy Hall is named after R. B. Dr. Beli Ram, donated by his son L. Lahori Mal Khosla.
• 1947At the Partition of the Subcontinent the college is left abandoned. Teaching is discontinued and the premises close.
• 2015Fatima Jinnah Medical College is awarded the status of Medical University on 1 July by the Government of Punjab — a landmark in the institution’s history.
• 2017HEC accreditation and regular NOC are granted on 23 December. Affiliated teaching hospitals are accredited by the Pakistan Medical Commission and CPSP.

The beginning

Balak Ram Medical College

The history of Balak Ram Medical College dates back to 1941, when the Punjab Medical Education and Relief Society was formed with 100 founder members. Mrs. Balak Ram — daughter-in-law of the late Sir Ganga Ram — and her son L. Sri Ram, together with other members of the society, purchased a bungalow on Queen’s Road, formerly occupied by the late Lala Har Kishan Lal, to house a medical college. It was named after a son of Sir Ganga Ram, as Balak Ram Medical College.

The college started functioning in 1942 with a batch of 50 students, comprising 44 male and 6 female students, granted admission strictly on the basis of merit in the ISC examination of the Punjab University. Col. D. H. Rai was an eminent pioneer who worked diligently for the college and became its first Principal. The initial faculty included Col. Bharucha as Professor of Anatomy and Surgery, Col. Amir Chand as Professor of Medicine, and Dr. Chowdhary as Professor of Physiology.

The college was affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Punjab. Its Anatomy and Physiology blocks were opened by Shrimati Sarojini Naidu on Sunday, 6 January 1946, and the Anatomy Hall was named after R. B. Dr. Beli Ram, donated by his son L. Lahori Mal Khosla.

Today

Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore

Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FJMC) was awarded the status of Medical University on 1 July 2015 by the Government of Punjab. The transition from a medical college to a medical university has been a landmark event in the history of the institute — one that not only added to institutional endurance but also paved the way for a larger role in Pakistan’s healthcare spectrum. Cognisant of an inspirational history spanning over seven decades, the institution embraced university status as an opportunity to serve on a bigger platform.

Professor Dr. Zohra Khanum is the current Vice Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Medical University. Today, FJMU is the parent institution to multiple hospitals and colleges. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, with 954 beds, and Government Teaching Hospital Shahdara, with 200 beds, fall under the institutional ambit of FJMU. In addition to FJMC as a constituent college, the College of Nursing SGRH, the College of Nursing Shahdara and a Paramedical School at GTHS for Allied Health Sciences are affiliated with the University.

The synergistic delivery of multidimensional tertiary care at the University’s hospitals, alongside high-quality academic programmes at its constituent colleges, has broadened the reach of what the University offers. With a fully functional Examination Department, Registrar Office, Quality Enhancement Cell and Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) in place, the University has an elaborate functional structure supporting the execution of its strategic plans.

Building on the prestige earned by FJMC over the years — through a prolific number of graduates excelling in careers across the globe — FJMU has expanded its portfolio at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The University offers postgraduate programmes in nineteen disciplines, with four hundred and thirty residents currently enrolled in CPSP and MD/MS programmes across various specialties. M.Phil programmes in ten specialties have recently been approved by the Syndicate, and new postgraduate and PhD programmes are expected to launch soon.

The future trajectory is built on the established role of any forward-looking university: acting as a respected repository and generator of knowledge, with societal impact through the healthcare facilities under FJMU’s umbrella. The goal is singular — to elevate FJMU’s standing not only as a premier medical education institution in Pakistan, but with a reputation transcending national boundaries.