Aga Khan University

Speech at the opening of the Hadi Building,
Karachi, Pakistan - November 22, 1996


Mr. Chairman, Board of The Trustees, Trustees, members of the Hadi Family, and honoured guests.

This is an occasion of real happiness for Me, because over the years, I have observed in the developing world, some really severe problems in the quality of diagnosis and the risk to which sick people are exposed through poor diagnosis or worse.

This building represents a concentration of technology which I think is unique on the campus at the present time. And I was concerned that we should make sure that the generosity, the admirable generosity of the Hadi family was invested in the best way possible; to ensure that this concentration of resources was well conceived and would be able to serve properly in the years ahead.

I would like to take this occasion to congratulate and thank the Hadi family for this very, very significant donation. You are repeat donors, I want to congratulate you for that and I hope that the service that this building will render, the people of Pakistan and indeed, one day, further a field, will give you the happiness and the satisfaction of the generosity that you have shown.

I am hopeful that this will be one of the centers in the Aga Khan University, the Faculty Health Sciences which in due course will have a significant impact on health care and diagnostic capacity not only here, but through out the rest of Pakistan.

I envisage the day when tele-medicine will become a significant force in Health Care in Pakistan and maybe further a field. And therefore, Inshallah, this particular building will have its benefit go far past the physical walls of this campus. And while this may be today something which one talks about but doesn't actually experience in the developing world, I am hopeful that it will very soon become, a significant force in improving the quality of health care in other institutions which will be able to link in to this center for their support.

During the debate within the Trustees, there was a lot of discussion as to whether this was going to be a one-teslar or one-and-a-half teslar equipment. And I asked, and asked, and asked again what was the difference between a one-teslar and a one-and-a-half-teslar MR equipment, and I have to tell you, I haven't still received an answer that I understand. In any event, I have to believe if it's called a one-and-a-half-teslar unit, then it's got to be little bit better if not more expensive that the one-teslar unit and when I got the good news that we were going to get a one-and-a-half-teslar unit I applauded that decision and I congratulate the family for this excellent donation.

I look forward to the day when many institutions in Pakistan, and indeed outside, will be able to link in to parts of the Aga Khan University to enhance the capacity of care and education. It is exceedingly important to the Trustees and Me personally, that the concentration of knowledge and competence and work and research which is done here, should not remain within the physical walls of this University, but should have a significant impact on the quality of life of people outside this University. And in that sense, I want to congratulate the Hadi family for this magnificent donation because that is precisely what I believe your donation will be able to do.

Lastly, to the radiologists on this campus I would say, I hope that this investment, this generous donation of the Hadi family will convince you and many young students to go into radiology because of all the fields of medicine in Pakistan, that is one of the most under-provided. And therefore quality radiology is an area of acute national need, and I am very hopeful that those who will be using these facilities, learning from them, will come back to the Aga Khan University to have future generations benefit from their learning.

Lastly, to the Hadi family congratulations for this magnificent donation, and that you are repeat donors is a source of great happiness and pride to Me.

Thank you.

(Senior Members of Hadi Family, Trustees asked to accompany Mowlana Hazar Imam for the opening ceremony)

Mowlana Hazar Imam goes back to the podium and says:

I'm going to do the opening of the building but, I wanted to underline My gratitude to the grand children of Mr. Hadi. These grand children have put aside savings from their pocket-money to contribute to this Institution. And while the Speaker today requested that the Senior members of the Hadi family should accompany Me, I ask that the grand children be present also.


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