Gravely concerned about the future of cardiology in a nascent country, Dr. Ali Muhammad Kasim returned to Pakistan with a will to help those in need. He joined Jinnah Central Hospital (JCH) in 1948 after serving in the Second World War in British India and acquiring his postgraduate training from the UK and the USA.
With his exceptional vision for growth, Dr. Kasim helped to elevate JCH to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and established the library at Dow Medical College. In 1963, after successful endeavors to collect funding from foreign organizations and personal contacts, Dr. Kasim achieved the first step towards his dream when the foundation stone of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) was laid by former President Field Marshall Ayub Khan.
Unfortunately, Dr. Kasim did not live to see the eventual outcome of the seeds he had sown as he died in 1964. He was however, posthumously made the first Executive Director of NICVD (1963-1964) and awarded the Sitara-e-Khidmat for his tireless efforts for his country.
