DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Speakers at a cultural day have asked the medical students to respect and follow their social values alongside medical ethics to serve masses in a better way and develop a taste for local art and culture for enhancing aesthetic sense.

A group of final year MBBS students of Gomal Medical College, Dera Ismail Khan, organised the annual event at its main auditorium the other day. Students, heads of departments, families, local poets and artists participated in the function.

Federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur while addressing the function asked the young students to also take part in co-curricular activities. He said that the government was focusing on development of young people so that they could play an important role in progress of the country.

Cultural day held at Gomal Medical College

“Young people are our precious asset. The vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan is to provide ample opportunities to the youth. Medical students are required to know about the social and cultural values and traditions as it would help them improve their professional ethics and raise their confidence level for better socialising with people around them hailing from different cultural backgrounds,” said Mr Gandapur.

Several stalls and murals were displayed to highlight Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Seraiki, Kashmiri and Pakhtun cultures while bilingual poetry sessions featuring Pashto and Seraiki poets were held, which was followed by a musical concert.

Pashto and Seraiki folk singers Bakhtiar Khattak, Aslam Salik, Shaukat Swati, Laila Khan, Dr Atta and Arslan Chandu sang numbers. Pashto poets, including Hasina Gul, Prof Iqbal Shakir, Zafar Khan Zafar, Bakhtzada Danish and Afsar Afghan recited their poems while Seraiki bards Makhmoor Qalandari, Aftab Awan and Habib Mohana also participated in the session.

Professor Abaseen Yousafzai graced the occasion as chief guest and spoke briefly about the importance of social values in a peaceful society. He said that medical students should know about their own cultural identity for better interaction with patients and the masses at large.

“Art and culture help us polish our aesthetic sense and boost our level of confidence,” Mr Yousafzai said.

Prof Dr Arshad Ali Marwat, dean of Gomal Medical College, said students should participate in healthy activities on the campus to promote mutual understanding.

Dr Ikramullah Sparlay said it took him months to organise such a grand event with an objective to entertain and inform his fellow students through cultural activities.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2020