Professor Ali Muhammad Ansari
Professor of Orthopedics, Former Principal, Dow Medical College
It is with profound sadness that Dowites across the world learn of the passing of Professor Ali Muhammad Ansari, Professor of Orthopedics and former Principal of Dow Medical College. His demise marks the end of an era in Dow’s academic and institutional history.
Professor Ansari was a central and influential figure in Dow affairs for decades. Serving as Principal from 1983 to 1984, he played a pivotal role in shaping the Academic Council during a particularly dynamic period in the college’s history. The college politics of the 1980s required balance, integrity, and accessibility—qualities he demonstrated with quiet strength. Alongside his esteemed wife, Razia Latif Ansari, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he oversaw numerous student elections and institutional processes with fairness and dignity.
As a teacher, Professor Ansari was known for his methodical approach and disciplined standards. His Orthopedic ward was a model of efficiency and structure. Students who rotated through his unit recall not only the rigor of his clinical expectations but also the clarity with which he taught the principles of orthopedic surgery. Many Dow graduates who walked through his ward carry forward his emphasis on order, precision, and responsibility.
Beyond the campus, Professor Ansari extended his service to public health administration as Health Secretary to the Government of Sindh, where he contributed meaningfully to health policy at the provincial level. His professional footprint therefore extended from bedside teaching to governance—an arc of service few achieve.
His partnership with Professor Razia Latif Ansari was itself a distinguished chapter in Dow’s history. Married in Hyderabad in 1968, they represented a remarkable academic couple whose combined influence shaped generations of physicians. Their presence at professional forums, including regular participation in Pakistan Medical Associationmeetings, reflected their enduring commitment to medical discourse and institutional development.
Many alumni will recall his active involvement during the DOGANA meeting in December 2003 at Dow Campus in Karachi, where he participated in discussions that led to the formation of WADA — the World Association of Dow Alumni. Even after retirement, he remained consistently engaged in Dow-related activities, always present when invited, always supportive of alumni initiatives.
For those who trained under him, worked alongside him, or engaged with him in academic and alumni affairs, Professor Ali Muhammad Ansari will be remembered as a disciplined educator, and a principled administrator.
His legacy endures in the countless students he trained, the institutions he strengthened, and the traditions he helped preserve.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
For the article by Dr. Amin Karin on Professor Razia Latif Ansari
