A life
away when I was 10. I had to struggle a lot to come up in life and build a career,” says Khan, recalling how he travelled to London in a cargo ship to save money. “To survive was difficult. To put food on the table was a major challenging task”. Khan completed his BSc and MA from Osmania University, Industrial Engineering from Arena University and later did his MBA. “In 1964, I got admission in New Mexico State University, USA for an Engineering course. But I had no financial backing and did not want to leave Hyderabad. Finally, my friends and relatives persuaded me to go. I travelled by train to Bombay and from there to London in a cargo ship. The ticket was `1000 and the money came from friends and relatives. “
He worked in a mill for six months in London from 6.00 am to 8.00 pm daily to earn money to fund his travel, tuition fees and stay in the US. “While studying, I worked at a cafeteria. To earn more, I watered farms.”
Four of Khan’s six children are specialist doctors. One of his two sons, Dr Khan Aslam Khan, is a super-specialist in heart arrhythmia. His eldest son, Khan Wasim Mohammad Khan, is a senior advocate and businessman in the US. Three of his four daughters are also in the medical profession while his three sons-in-law are also doctors. Explaining his preference for medicine, Khan says, “My mother, who was suffering from peptic ulcers, needed a doctor, but medical help could not reach her as the doctor was not available.”
“My real wealth is the right education I gave to my children. Everyone is well qualified in his or her field. I am proud of them.”
“I asked Aslam to come to Hyderabad. He was working with St. Luke’s Roosevelt, University of Columbia in New York. He did super-specialisation in clinical cardiac electro physiology in arrhythmia. He joined Apollo Hospitals and opened the arrhythmia centre there.”
The Lateef Khan family often shuttles between Hyderabad and Chicago. They have a long ancestral history, tracing the lineage to Mongol ruler Hulagu Khan. “My grandfather, Khan Mohammad Khan, came to Hyderabad from Dera Ismail Khan, now in Pakistan, to serve in the defense forces of the Nizam VI, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, a little over 100 years ago.”