HYDERABAD, Jan 11 The senate of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences on Saturday approved the budget for 2008-09, which shows an expected income of Rs598.244 million and expenditure of Rs771.250 million, with a deficit of Rs173 million.

The university's director of finance Fazal Ali Shaikh presented the budget and the financial statement at the meeting, which was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Prof Noushad Ahmed Shaikh.

The director said that the deficit for the current financial year (2008-09) could further increase if the HEC once again imposed cuts like the previous year.

The VC said that the university would rent out some portion of its land for petrol pumps and restaurants to generate extra funds to overcome the deficit and complete the under-construction projects.

He said that the university had successfully completed its academic calendar and the academic activities were being held in an ideal atmosphere. The university's teaching and examination systems had been streamlined and even the PMDC had exhorted other universities to emulate LUMHS, he claimed.

He said that the university had increased seats for BDS by 100 per cent from 50 to 100 and more than 100 papers were published in national and international journals.

He said that new faculty members had joined the university in different disciplines through the selection board and purely on merit. The university had established its own Q-Bank and standard papers were being prepared and examinations were being conducted in a transparent manner, Prof Shaikh said.

He said that the institutes of biomedical, physiotherapy and rehabilitation would greatly benefit the poor patients. Cardiac surgery had been introduced under a highly qualified surgeon, Prof Mudassar and cardiac ward was providing excellent treatment to heart patients under the supervision of an able and experienced cardiac professor, Nazeer Memon.

He informed the senate members that Minimal Envision Surgery would be introduced very soon.

The meeting adopted a resolution, urging the Ministry of Finance and HEC to restore previous cut of Rs69 million for 2007-08 and increase funds for the university in the interest of academic and research activities.

The VC praised the efforts of the faculty for improving academic and research activities at the campus. In future, the parents of the employees would also get medical cover under the life insurance scheme, he said.

Prof Ali Mohammad Ansari, Justice Azizullah Memon, Prof Faiz Ahmed, Madam Aftab Muneer as well as professors of affiliated colleges attended the meeting.