The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (Reporting name: AFIP) is the main Pakistani institution for defensive research into countermeasures against biological warfare. It is located in the vicinity of CMH Rawalpindi alongside the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi Cantt, Punjab, Pakistan. Established in 1957, the AFIP, supported by civilian and military pathologists, has been engaged in the task of combating virus outbreaks in Pakistan.
History
Pre-independence era
Station hospital facilities were initially developed for the Indian troops. They depended entirely on their regimental hospitals for medical treatment. In October 1918, Station Hospitals were sanctioned for the Indian troops. The Indian Hospital Corps (IHC) was initially divided into 10 Division Companies, which corresponded to the 10 existing Military Divisions in India and Burma. They were located at Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Mhow, Poona, Meerut, Lucknow, Secunderabad, and Rangoon.
The whole corps was reorganized. On a command basis, five companies of the IHC were created in 1932. The companies were located as follows: No. 1 Company was at Rawalpindi, No. 2 Company at Lucknow, No. 3 Company at Poona, No. 4 Company at Quetta, and No. 5 Company at Rangoon. World War II was responsible for rapid developments. The idea of having a homogeneous corps by amalgamating the IMS and IMD gradually took shape, and Indian Army Medical Corps (IAMC) came into being on 3 Apr 1943. The medical institutions of the IAMC were concentrated in the areas that were to subsequently become Pakistan.
The British Raj in India left a significant legacy in the territory, which later became Pakistan. The bulk of the troops of the British Indian Army were recruited from the areas that now constitute Pakistan. The threats posed by the Russian empire and a fear of Afghans and Central Asian forces overrunning the Indian territory, made the British rulers particularly cautious about the northwestern borders across the Hindu Kush mountains. The army was deployed on a large scale. Rawalpindi served as the pivotal military base, from which they controlled the command, logistics, and services provided to those troops. It was the Headquarters of Northern Command, India. Therefore, the city housed many offices and institutions.
Armed Forces Medical Services were one of the most organized and highly developed support services in the British Indian Army. The members of the medical profession served in the IMS (Indian Medical Services), with pride and dignity. The senior jobs in civil medical services were also reserved for the medical professionals of the army.
The troops of British Indian Army were deployed over an extensive area. They were exposed to the tropical climate. They were present in the heights of Chitral in the north-west to Burma in the east. The major bulk of their health related problems were of tropical infections and parasitic infestation. The medical services were committed for the prevention and treatment of tropical diseases. The diagnosis of these diseases was based upon the rudimentary laboratory service. The need for pathology services was, therefore, recognized even in those days. A well organized and up to the mark pathology organization was established. That was the time when experienced pathologists, especially, those dealing with the tropical pathology, served in IMS.
As we mentioned earlier, Rawalpindi was the headquarters of the northern Command of the India. Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and Military Hospital (MH) were the largest and the most well-equipped hospitals in this area at that time. Alongside these major hospitals and field medical services, a pathology laboratory, the Command Laboratory, Northern Command, was established. This was indeed the best Armed Forces laboratory, which the newly independent Pakistan inherited from the British India in 1947.
After 1947 Lt Col Sarup Narayan was the first Commanding Officer of this laboratory, at the time of independence. He originally belonged to Rawalpindi area and had happily opted to stay and serve in Pakistan. However, due to obvious reasons, he felt it difficult to continue living in Pakistan and he had to migrate to India for personal reasons. He was a very brilliant, hardworking and well mannered pathologist. He ultimately rose to the rank of Lt General in the Indian Army Medical Corps and was appointed as the Director of Medical Services (Research).
After independence, Pakistan Army Medical Corps (AMC) was established from the fragmented available resources (monetary as well as personnel). Two senior IMS officers, Lt Gen S.M.A. Faruki and Lt Gen Wajid Ali Khan Burki, played a key role in early formative years of AMC. Shortly afterwards the Command Lab. at Rawalpindi was raised to the status of the Central Military Pathological Laboratory (CMPL). This cumbersome name was a legacy of the mother unit of the same name at Poona (India).
The CMPL had started its existence in a small premises as a Central Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Apart from being a diagnostic laboratory, it was also given the task of production of some reagents and bio-products. This was the modest beginning and the services were gradually evolved into a comprehensive institute, which is now called as Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). It had very basic equipment, limited infrastructure and the tests used were conventional and very basic ones.
The CMPL, as an army unit was commanded by Lt Col Muhammad Said, for a short duration. He was once again replaced by then Lt Col Manzoor Ahmed Chaudhry who by then had a background of heading the unit. Once the tradition is set, a smooth functioning can be ensured by a good command and control.
CMPL to AFIP-1957 It was with the advice received in the form of a letter from Major Syed Azhar Ahmad that the CMPL was designated as Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) on 20 August 1957. He was then being trained at AFIP Washington. As the CMPL was to be transformed to an institute of excellence, the infrastructure needed to be developed and the facilities enhanced. The existing working and administrative space had by then become too crowded and the quality work needed smooth mobility of the action. Therefore, more room was needed and a double-storey building was constructed which was later considered unsuitable for the work of the AFIP and was handed over to the newly created Armed Forces Medical College.
It must be put on record that late Lt Gen W.A.Burki, was very keen to improve the scientific basis of AMC and was a moving force behind many projects of development. A new building was desperately needed for the institute. It needed finances, planning and supervision. It must not be forgotten at this stage that the finances were arranged by a very kind gesture of late Chaudhri Mohammad AH, then finance minister of the Federal Government. Chaudhri Mohammad Ali had to visit the AFlP quite frequently. During his visits, he too felt the need of an advanced diagnostic laboratory service and provided necessary financial support for the construction of the new building. He later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan and continued helping AFIP for long period of time. A large purpose built double-storey building was planned by Maj (later Col) SMH Bokahari, who took personal efforts in its design and construction. A new purpose-built building for AFIP was completed in 1958.
Lt Col Noor Ahmed was appointed the Commanding Officer of AFIP, in September 1957. He was a very learned and experienced pathologist of that time. He had long served in the Indian Medical Department (IMD) of the Army and in the Indian Army Medical Corps. He was an excellent bench worker and a keen teacher, who himself had worked very hard and expected the same from others. He was highly disciplined, tough task master and took a keen interest in the lab work, improvement of the premises, postgraduate teaching and maintenance of a high quality work.
During the tenure of Lt Col Noor Ahmed, a very well organised and systematic programme of academic activities and research was set up in this institute, on sound scientific basis. He was also responsible for raising the standards of (so far neglected) histopathology services in the Army. It was the fruit of his concerted efforts that the AFIP in Pakistan established close cordial links with AFIP Washington, D.C. and various American and British Universities. In 1959, during his Command, Armed Forces Tumour Registry was started. This was the beginning of the organised study of malignant tumours in Pakistan. The suggestion was once again made by Major (now Lt Gen Retired Syed Azhar Ahmed).
When the locally available meager training resources of pathologists were exhausted, the matter of training of pathologists abroad was seriously taken, during his tenure. Consequently, Major (now Maj Gen Retd) M.I.Burney completed a one-year training course in Virology in Walter Reed Army Institute of USA. As he returned, the department of Virology was established on modern lines. The department was engaged in the study of Asian Flu effect on local population. He maintained his interest in parasitology and entomology. It was he, who discovered a new focus of Kala-Azar in Gilgit and Baltistan. A new species of sand fly flourishing in this cold climate was also discovered and named after Lt Col M.I. Burney as Phlebotomus Brunei.
The newly constructed building of AFIP had to be furnished. So far, all the laboratory furniture including laboratory benches were imported from abroad. This was most probably the first time when it was manufactured locally, instead of being imported. Messrs Abdullah and Sons from Gujranwala accepted the task and they made all the furniture indigenous at a remarkably low price. Many such benched are still being used at AFIP. All the services like a high voltage electricity, water and gas were all supplied smoothly on a regular basis on these benches.
The federal capital was shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi, in 1958. The AFIP was the mainstay of the diagnostic laboratory services in that city. Therefore, the responsibilities of AFIP increased further. It was then supposed to look after the ministers and senior civil servants of the Federal Government of Pakistan ad their family members.
Mr Mohammad Shoaib was then the Finance Minister. He used to attend AFIP for his regular check-up. He found the AFIP premises uncomfortable during the hot seasons. The building was closed and the newly inducted heavy gadgetry generated a lot of heat, in the close space. The working atmosphere was uncomfortable and it was a really tough task to work there. The patient reception area was extremely unpleasant. Mr Mohammad Shoaib shared the discomfort with other patients and he generously sanctioned a handsome amount for bringing changes. It was spent for the fixation of a modern central air conditioning plant for the building. It had an added advantage of the provision of a dust free environment. The constant temperature was needed for the fine functioning of many pieces of equipment and the conditions needed for the performance of sophisticated tests.
During those days, the pressing demands of quality pathology service had compelled the AFIP to assume the role of a Central Reference Laboratory. It provided services for the Armed Forces, as well civil sector. The general population belonging to civil sector of this region, including many medical institutions in and around Rawalpindi benefited its expertise. This gave it new prestige and status.
1962