Dr. Azam Ali 1966 – 2024

HR Ahmad

No two stars are alike in the Milky way galaxy. If Azam Ali would have been a star, he would have introduced himself to us by the brightness strength. This bright star migrated on the blue dot of the universe in 1966. At a tender age of 17 years, he joined a uniquely established Aga Khan Medical College under the founding Dean Cheves Smyth at CPSP DHA Phase 2 Karachi to be an alumnus of Class of 1988. It was the first medical college in South Asia to have started with a full-fledged team of PhD Faculty.

I remember meeting him during my interview visit to Aga Khan Medical College in 1984. Dr Azam asked me a strike in the memory question “how we can see a part of the brain noninvasively”. I noticed from my exchange of notes with students of class of 1988 during and after the seminar that a medical college might be one of the sources of brain drain for scientists in Pakistan. When I joined AKU in 1985, I started learning with the Class of 1990 onwards. Dr Azam proceeded to UK to acquire the art of eye surgery. He served his alma mater as a world class eye surgeon for a long period of time and acquired a name nationally and regionally.

It was an interesting interception that Dr Azam’s family and Dr John Dirks as the first Graduate Dean of AKU became my neighbours on the same street in KDA Scheme-1as a part of AKU campus. After having served his alma mater, Dr Azam moved to Liaquat National Hospital and Hill Park United Hospital. When I joined AKU in 1985, Akhtar Eye Clinic was one of the leading Eye Care facility and then some others facilities also became important which included Shahzad Eye Clinic. Dr Azam Ali a brilliant ophthalmic surgeon. What a man walked on this planet and returned to the Milky Way Galaxy and showing us the light from above. We stand with Dr Azam Family at this grief moment of separation with tears of gratitude for his superb service to mankind by giving them vision to be the part of the universe again.