PESHAWAR: Dr Tabish Ikram, a graduate of Khyber Medical College, has won the first Dr Zakia Minhas Award for Excellence in medical education.

A statement issued here said that the award, which carried a cash prize of $5,000, would be given away in a ceremony at Khyber Medical University on Wednesday (today). Provincial Minister for Health Taimur Saleem Jhagra will be chief guest on this occasion. Dr Ikram, a resident of Peshawar, is currently working at Hayatabad Medical Complex as house officer after his graduation.

Earlier in February, Dosti Welfare Organisation and KMU signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the award and the refurbishing of the university library.

Under the MoU, a cash prize of $5,000 will be given to the all-round best medical graduate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the end of each academic year.

“The best does not mean that one receives the highest marks. Civic performance such as volunteerism, research, authoring of scientific and linguistic literature and eclecticism should be also considered,” said the MoU.

Besides, Dosti Welfare Organisation will facilitate transforming libraries at KMU and its associated colleges. In addition to this, KMU will register its endowment fund in the United States and United Kingdom while Dosti will assist it in establishing an endowment fund for perpetual fundraising for student scholarships, security for unforeseen obstacles, preparation for planned growth and building an investment strategy.

The award is an attempt to recognise the services of Dr Zakia Minhas, a pioneering gynecologist of the province, who died in Peshawar in December last year.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2022