KARACHI, Aug 12: As many as 429 graduates of two MBBS batches were conferred on degrees at the tenth convocation of the Sindh Medical College held on Thursday.
The chief minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, was the chief guest on the occasion. So far about 7,000 students belonging to 25 batches have passed out from the college, since its establishment in 1973, according to a calculation.
The chief minister congratulated graduates of both the batches and hoped they would care for the sufferings of ailing people, particularly the less privileged people of rural areas. "Being medical professionals, you are more influential, and can serve society in a befitting way," he said pointing towards the passing out graduates.
Dr Arbab said that in comparison to the past, the health care scenario had improved in the rural areas, but there was still along way to go. "The opportunities of jobs for medical professionals should be increased, and at the same time they should be paid a better remuneration package, so they can serving society with all devotion," added Dr Arbab, who is also a graduate of the SMC.
The chief minister said the government wanted to discourage those who have acquired education and jobs in urban areas by virtue of a rural domicile, but had never returned to their places of domicile.
"Such quarters not only misuse their domicile, but also reduce the chances for deserving candidates, desirous of serving the people and community of their place of domicile," he added.
Stressing the need for improvement in health services of the province, Dr Arbab said he would continue paying surprise visits to government hospitals to ensure a honest working on the part of doctors and other paramedic staff. He also asked private hospitals not to exploit the situation and serve the humanity in a real sense.
Dr Arbab announced a donation of Rs5 million for renovation of the SMC auditorium, and said that he being an alumnus of the college, would continue extending support to it.
In his brief speech, the adviser to chief minister on health, Faisal Malik, who is also the pro-chancellor of medical universities in the province, said the government was making all-out efforts to combat the shortage of doctors.
The vice-chancellor, University of Karachi, Dr Pirzada Qasim, who also conferred degrees on graduates, said it was the first time that indicators showed that the present government had put education and health sectors on the top of its priority list.
Prof Masood Hameed Khan, the vice-chancellor, Dow University of Health Sciences, said that establishment of three institutes of basic medical science, health management, and nursing and paramedics, was on the varsity's agenda.
He said that admissions to the dental institute, being set up at the SMC, would be made after fulfilling requirements of the Pakistan Medical and Dental College.
The principal of SMC, Prof Noushad A Shaikh, highlighted development works carried out at the college and mentioned that the fourth floor of the college building was ready for an anatomy department to be set up there.
In all, 30 gold medals were awarded to various graduates for their outstanding academic records. The recipients of the gold medals included Pakeer Ali Javaid Ali, Johann Faizal Khan, Dr Tahira Khalid, Nida Abbas, Afshan Ayaz, Sarwat Ansari of the 2002 batch; and Muhammad Asim Fazal, Syed Muhammad Nazim, Mubashar Sarfraz, Gotam Chand, Muhammad Asim, Saman Asif, and Farah Naz of the 2003 batch.
