KARACHI: Over 400 fellowships and 106 memberships were awarded to successful medical professionals at the 50th convocation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) held on the college premises on Thursday.

The convocation in Karachi was the first of a series of ceremonies to be held in Lahore and Islamabad in coming days.

Congratulating candidates on their achievement, chief guest Prof Adibul Hasan Rizvi, director of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), advised them not to forget their obligation towards their parents, teachers, their alma mater and society.

“In a country where 50 pc people are illiterate and 80pc population couldn’t afford decent healthcare, you are lucky to receive education in a prestigious institution like the CPSP that has made specialised education and training available at your doorstep.

“I can still recall the days when I had to borrow money to go to the UK for specialisation. Living in an alien country where you had no roof over your head, no job to earn your bread and pay for the specialisation was really tough,” he said.

Giving some tips to face up to future challenges, he said that medical professionals must keep themselves abreast of the latest developments in their field and treat a common man with respect and dignity.

He lamented that education had become a business where merit had been replaced by self-financed schemes, which had restricted opportunities for people with limited resources.

“Decent healthcare and education is the birthright of every human being regardless of class, creed and religion. Provision of healthcare also means to have safe drinking water, proper sewerage and drainage system, immunisation and housing facilities,” he said.

Prof Rizvi called upon the government to direct major chunk of its resources towards health and education and urged students to put in their share in supporting their alma mater.

“You are about to embark on a new journey. Don’t let the destiny decide your course rather take the destiny in your own hands. This will make you an extraordinary person,” he said in his concluding remarks.

Earlier, president of CPSP Zafarullah Chaudhry briefed the audience on the progress the institution had made so far. The college, he pointed out, had produced till 2015 around 18,000 fellows and over 8,000 members, which constituted about 95pc of specialist manpower of the country.

“Apart from these efforts, there is a need that the government and the private sector should come forward to organise specialist care delivery in such a manner that its benefits reach people in all parts of the country,” he said.

Later, the chief guest along with the CPSP president conferred degrees of the Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) and the Member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (MCPS) on 471 and 106 candidates, respectively.

Sharing her joy on the award of Rashid Lateef Gold Medal, Dr Mehreen Khaleel Qureshi, who specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology, expressed gratitude towards her family that included her husband, parents, sister and in-laws.

“They all helped me. I have a two-year-old son who has suffered a lot during my studies. I can’t afford failure so I worked hard,” she said as her face beamed with happiness.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2016