KARACHI, Sept 27: Fatima Jinnah Dental College held its fifth annual convocation on Friday at which graduates of the 2001 batch were awarded degrees, gold medals and shields.

In all 56 graduates, including 11 in absentia, were conferred BDS degrees by the vice chancellor of the University of Karachi, Dr Zafar Saied Saify. The Sindh minister of finance, planning and development, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, was the chief guest at the ceremony held at an auditorium in the city.

Besides passing out graduates of the 2001 batch and their parents, a number of dignitaries connected with the field of medicine were also present. Omaid Khalid Ahmed was declared the best graduate of the year and was awarded a number of gold medals, merit certificates and the college crest.

Dr Shaikh stressed the need for focussing on developing human resources. The country is endowed with natural and human resources in abundance, but unfortunately we lag behind in development, he said, adding that efforts had not been made in the past to properly develop human and natural resources.

He said the present government fully realized the importance of human resources in the development of the country and that was why it was taking measures to promote literacy in the country and to make people skilled.

He said the Sindh government had allocated Rs18 billion in the current financial for promotion of literacy. To increase the rate of enrolment of girl students, the government was also offering different types of scholarship to students in both rural and urban areas. Primary education had been made compulsory in the province and tuition fee was not being charged up to class X in government schools, he added.

He also recalled the steps taken by the government for bringing about improvement in higher education.

He said doctors and dentists were the cornerstone of the medical system in developed and industrialized countries, and he hoped that these graduates too would continue achieving excellence in their professional life as well, and make their contribution to strengthening the nation’s economy.

Dr Saifi praised the FJDC for holding its convocation on a regular basis and appreciated the ongoing research projects at the college. He reminded the graduates that they carried the responsibility of having to prove worthy of the expectations of their parents and the nation, and they would apply their knowledge sincerely to alleviate the suffering of the humanity.

In his annual report, the principal of the College, Prof Issa Arain, stated that out of 12 positions in four professional examinations, 10 of the top positions were bagged by the FJDC. He said work on the setting up of a general hospital for medicine and surgery was in progress and hopefully the hospital would by ready for the academic session of 2003.

The chief executive of the FJDC, Dr S. Baqar Askary, and the vice chairman of the FJDC and Hospital Trust, Prof Manzooruddin Ahmed, the Dean Faculty of Medicine, University of Karachi, Dr S. Tipu Sultan, also spoke at the convocation. Dr Tipu also administered the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s oath to the BDS graduates.

Dr Saify gave away merit certificates to about a dozen students for securing distinction marks in different professional examinations of the university. Those who secured distinctions in examinations included Omaid Khalid Ahmed, Nida Sultan, Arsalah Riffat, Asif Hamid, Syed Mohammed Naseer, Ambrina Qureshi, Amara Latif Bajwa, Rola Al Kahlout, Nazish Ashfaq Khan, Shahzadi Sarwat, Arfa Munir Malik.

Dr Shaikh, who gave away gold medals to brilliant performers of different examinations, awarded the college crest to Omaid Khalid Ahmed for his overall outstanding performance. Omaid had secured second position in BDS first and third professional examinations, and first position in second and fourth professional examinations.