SRINAGAR 10 Jun : Dr Ghulam Mohammad Dhaar, a pioneering public health expert, renowned medical educator and one of the founding figures of Community Medicine in Jammu and Kashmir, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 91.
Widely credited with laying the foundation of modern Community Medicine in the region, Dr Dhaar’s death marks the end of a distinguished career that shaped generations of medical professionals and contributed significantly to public health administration in Jammu and Kashmir.
A former Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine at Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, Dr Dhaar was instrumental in introducing and developing postgraduate education in the speciality. Over the course of his career, he mentored numerous doctors and researchers, earning recognition as one of the most influential medical academicians in the Union Territory.
Dr Dhaar also played an important role in the establishment and growth of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) during its formative years in the early 1980s. He served in several key academic and administrative capacities, including Coordinator of Manpower Development, member of the institute’s selection committee and Chairman of Community Medicine.
Born in 1935 in Srinagar’s Aali Kadal area, he completed his MBBS from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, in 1959. He later became the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to earn a postgraduate degree in Public Health and Community Medicine after obtaining his MD from King George’s Medical College.
His contributions extended beyond medical education. Dr Dhaar served as Health Officer and later Administrator of Srinagar Municipality and was associated with several landmark public health initiatives, including the smallpox eradication drive and malaria control programmes. He also played an advisory role in the introduction of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Rehbar-i-Sehat schemes in Jammu and Kashmir.
In recognition of his lifelong contribution to public health and preventive medicine, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine. His scholarly work included the publication of Foundations of Community Medicine, a comprehensive academic reference published by Elsevier.
Dr Dhaar is survived by his family, including his son Dr Irfan Robbani Dhaar, former Principal of SKIMS Medical College and Professor of Radiodiagnosis at SKIMS, and son-in-law Dr Omar Javed Shah, former Director and Dean of SKIMS.