Written by: Bilal Mustikhan
Posted on: September 07, 2020 | 
Civil Hospital Karachi, in the 1850s
Karachi is one of the largest and rapidly growing metropolitan cities in the world, with a population of over 20 million people. This population is being largely sustained not only by modern hospitals but by a healthcare system that was put in place since the colonial era. The education system, also put in place by the British and funded by the minorities, has also allowed the city to flourish and prosper by educating and taking care of its residents. Yet, many of the city’s residents mention the names of these institutions, without realizing the extent of the contribution the minorities have made to the city’s growth and development.
While the current pandemic has been controlled, thanks to the numerous hospitals across the city, this is not the first epidemic the city has experienced. Karachi’s hospitals that have historically witnessed many deadly epidemics, such as cholera and the plague have come to the rescue during the darkest of times. Similarly, schools built in the past, aimed to provide quality education to children of all religious backgrounds, castes, and creeds, and many of our current politicians and scholars owe their education to these establishments. The following are some of the historic hospitals and schools across Karachi which have cared for and sustained the city.
A Statue of Eduljee Dinshaw
The Civil Hospital was the first hospital to be built in Karachi. When the British troops occupied Karachi in 1839, they could not adapt to the environment, and suffered from cholera, vomiting, and diarrhea. To combat this, the British decided to set up a temporary dispensary, which was later upgraded to a hospital. A larger hospital building was built at the old hospital site in 1854, at a cost of Rs 6,878. This new building was dedicated to the people of Karachi, and was named the Civil Hospital. In 1858, the Sindh Railway Company took this hospital under its custody and reconstructed it. By 1947, the Civil Hospital was the main teaching hospital of Dow Medical College, well-equipped and fully functional for the city’s residents.
The Lady Dufferin hospital's foundation was laid in November 1984 by Lady Elgin, the wife of Viceroy Lord Elgin, after whom the hospital is named. The hospital was inaugurated on 5th November 1898, with the assistance of the famous social worker of Karachi, Mr. Eduljee Dinshaw. Designated to cater to Karachi's poor, Lady Dufferin Hospital initially functioned as a maternity home. Later, the Louise Lawrence Nursing Training Institute, named after the late wife of the Collector of Karachi, was also established to provide skills and training for nurses of the entire city.
Lady Dufferin Hospital
The Dispensary has stood the test of times, and still exists in good condition on Preedy Street, opposite Jehangir Park. This magnificent building was built in 1882 by the famous architect James Strachan, the Chief Engineer and Secretary of Karachi Municipality. Mr. Eduljee Dinshaw gave RS. 5,500 for its creation, which was a hefty amount at that time. Located in the center of the Saddar area next to Empress Market, it functioned as a charitable dispensary, and used to be the largest and most easily accessible source for acquiring medicines.
Eduljee Dinshaw Dispensary in the 1900s and Eduljee Dinshaw Dispensary Now
In typical Colonial British architecture, the Eduljee Dinshaw Dispensary is built in an Italianate style, with multiple windows, columns, a metallic roof and a central clock in the front. The year 1882 is proudly displayed on the top as the year of the Dispensary's inauguration, and a reminder of its long history of serving the people of Karachi.
NJV Government Higher Secondary School was the first school established in Sindh by Sir Bartle Frere in 1855, and was shifted to its current location in 1876. It was named after Sir Narayan Jagannath Vaidya, who contributed greatly in building the province's education system. The first batch of the school consisted of 68 students, with only 12 Muslim students at the time.
The NJV building also holds historical importance as after Partition, the Sindh Assembly was housed here temporarily. Since it was the first and oldest public educational institutions in the province, it has provided education for renowned politicians and famous scholars like Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta, the first mayor of Karachi, and Sindhi writer Amar Jaleel.However, due to encroachments around the campus, NJV school lost its charm and recognition. In 2015, Akhuwat took on the mission to restore NVJ to its previous glory, and preserve its rich heritage. Today, the campus comprises one main building, a primary building, a student dormitory, staff housing, and several peripheral buildings, including garages, a canteen, post office, and guardhouse. The 3-story main building features full internet coverage and contains 8 laboratories, 3 IT rooms, various auditoriums, and more than 40 different classrooms.
Initially built as the Sindh Arts College with 28 students, the DJ Science College was later renamed after Diwan Dayaram Jethmal, a social reformer, judge, poet and notable scholar. It was inaugurated by Lord Reay, the Governor of Bombay, on 17th January 1887. DJ Science College initially functioned in a bungalow at the junction of Bunder Road and Kutchery Road. The present building is designed in neoclassical style by James Strachan, with Lord Dufferin laying its foundation stone in November 1887. The building took 5 whole years to construct, and is thought to be Strachen's finest works, with grand towers on either side of the main building and an aesthetically pleasing wooden staircase inside.
DJ Science College
BVS, a short form for Bai Virbaiji Soparivala Parsi Highschool, was founded in 1859 in a small Parsi residence, and expanded as the school gained recognition. It was established by Seth Shapurji, a notable Parsi from Karachi, in honor of his deceased wife. In 1870, Shapurji donated RS. 10,000 to the school, on the condition that it be renamed the Parsi Virbaiji School. In 1904, the eldest son of Seth Shapurji, laid the foundation of the present building, while Jewish architect Moses Somake constructed its now-iconic building. It’s main goal was to cultivate and educate only Parsi children. However, in 1947, on the request of Quaid-e-Azam, BVS opened its doors to non-Parsi children for the first time.
BVS School Entrance
The Sisters of Jesus and Mary came to the Indian Sub-continent from France in 1842, setting up a school in Agra to educate the local Indian population. In 1856, the Convents of Lahore and Murree came into existence, expanding slowly to a network of eight convents spread throughout Pakistan. The Convents of Jesus and Mary aimed to bring together children from all social backgrounds, provide them an education regardless of their religion, caste, and creed. Many of the convents also fund social welfare programs, and were one of the first to emphasise community service as a crucial part of school curriculums.
St. Joseph’s was originally known as the Roman Catholic Convent, and was started by five nuns who ventured to an unknown land with the aim to educate and care for the people of India. The sisters opened the school for classes in March 1862, with an intial enrolment of 40 boys and 48 girls. 150 years later, the school upholds its rich legacy while also adjusting curriculums to modern standards. The beautiful 1863 building still stands today as a prime example of British Colonial architecture, with high columns and magnificent detail work.
St. Joseph's Convent School
Karachi Grammar School (KGS) is the oldest private school in Pakistan, and second-oldest private school in Asia, with a long history and a wealth of notable alumni. The first class was taught by Reverend Henry Brenton in 1847, who was the first chaplain of Karachi, and who raised Rs.4918 for the school. The school itself was formally built by Sir Henry Bartle Frere in 1854 as the ‘Karachi European and Indo-European School’, to educate the children of British officers and wealthy Indian families. It flourished, and the name changed to ‘Karachi Grammar School’.
The above-mentioned sights have played a significant role in developing Karachi, but have also helped the entire country prosper by both educating and healing its citizens. Although the founders of these establishments were not Muslim, they were sincerely committed to serving the people of Karachi. Perhaps now more than ever, their contributions to the city needs to be remembered and honored by both the people of Karachi and of the rest of Pakistan.
You may also like:
