KP CM wants young doctors to become role-models

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on Thursday acknowledged medical and teaching contributions of the Northwest School of Medicine and Northwest General Hospital & Research Centre and asked the young doctors to become role-models by serving the ailing humanity.

He was speaking at the 2nd graduation ceremony of the medical college held on the premises of the college.

“I am impressed by the quality of services and teaching standards of Northwest School of Medicine and its hospitals. You must be thankful to Allah Ta’ala for His blessing of choosing you for the great cause of serving humanity,” the chief minister said.

Besides faculty of the college, Prof Dr Tariq Khan, founding chairman of the institution, Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Prof Dr Riaz Anwar and senior caretaker minister Syed Masood Shah Bacha also attended the event. The parents of outgoing medical graduates were also invited to the convocation.

Prof Dr Nurul Iman, the principal Northwest School of Medicine, welcomed the chief guest and informed him about the past and present of the medical institution.

He distributed degrees/certificates amongst 148 graduates of MBBS and awarded gold medals to the position holders of annual examinations of 2017-22 session.

“I congratulate the graduates, their teachers and parents for achieving such a significant milestone in their educational career. Today, we all are here not only to mark the end of an educational phase but to commence a new and practical chapter in the lives of these talented students who have undoubtedly worked hard to reach this momentous day,” the chief minister added.

He urged upon the medical graduates to embrace innovation, stay committed to further polish their professional capabilities, and most importantly, prioritise the wellbeing of people as the health of our community rests in their capable hands.

He hoped that the new graduates would carry forward the legacy of excellence established by the Northwest School of Medicine.

About priorities of the caretaker set up, the chief minister said that efforts were underway to increase strength of the healthcare practitioners in the province.

“Our future depends on well-educated and skilled youth, that’s why it is important to align our young generation with the needs and requirements of the contemporary world. The caretaker provincial government is working day and night on equipping the youth with market-based technical and crash courses so as to send them abroad for employment opportunities,” he added.

Advisor to the chief minister on health, Prof Riaz Anwar also appreciated the quality of services and medical education in NWSM and its affiliated hospitals.

“I am witness to the hard work and commitment of Prof Tariq Khan. When he left a government job, he raised institutions of higher standards. He had developed neurosurgery in the Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex,” said Dr Riaz Anwar.

He said the graduates of NWSM were lucky to have studied there as there were great teachers and people of integrity including Prof Mohibullah Khan and Prof Tariq Khan.

Prof Dr Nurul Iman said that established in 2016, Northwest School of Medicine (NWSM) and its affiliated hospitals scored 96 percent marks during the recent visit of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) inspection, and the given the institutions A+ category

Also, he said the institution scored 91 percent in a recently concluded Higher Education Commission based SAR and awarded the institution the highest category ‘W’ for quality of education.

He said due to the quality of education imparted at the NWSM, passing rate of their students has been consistently 95 percent in the last six years.

“Our students have topped annual professional examinations throughout the province, with the last three professional exams being dominated by the students of NWSM,” said Dr Nurul Iman.

“The inclusion of the occupational health, safety, and environment department, showcases our commitment to the wellbeing of our students and staff. Also, we take pride in being the only medical school in the country equipped with 3D cyber anatomy, a digital library, and access to up-to-date- a globally recognised learning resource,” Prof Nurul Iman explained.

Also, he said they have been offending merit based scholarships and in the last academic year, 25 students received scholarships worth Rs9.2 million.

Meanwhile, the chief guest awarded gold medals to the best graduates of the college.

A female graduate, Dr Summaya Habib was declared the best graduate of session 2017-22.

She received nine gold medals for clinching first position in different professional examinations conducted by the Khyber Medical University (KMU).

She had achieved first position in the province and in the college. She was the shining star of the ceremony, and an outstanding graduate of the college.

Dr Ammad Saeed got four gold medals by obtaining outstanding positions in the KMU and NWSM; Dr Mohammad Hamza got three gold medals, Dr Salman Zahir was awarded a gold medal for his contribution to research. Dr Mah Rukh Shinwari got two gold medals.