PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has called upon parents to facilitate their daughters to take up professional medical careers after graduation so that women patients could be served adequately.

“In our society, people want women patients to be treated by lady doctors but disallow their daughters and sisters to start medicine practice after graduation,” Mr Afridi told the convocation ceremony at the Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC) on Friday.

The CM, who awarded degrees to 197 graduates of 2023-24, said that the province faced a severe shortage of female doctors, which resulted in poor healthcare for women patients because female doctors don’t take up jobs after getting married.

“The parents should take written commitments from the families of brides that they will allow their daughters to work in hospitals. This is the best way to ensure better healthcare for our women population,” the CM said.

Says shortage of female doctors affecting women’s health

According to him, the government had started recruitment of 2400 medical officers to cater to the shortage of medics and this process will continue.

“We are also considering enhancing seats for the residents of the merged districts to ensure health services to people there,” he said.

He also gave away 17 and 10 gold medals to Qandeel Murtaza and Muqadas Mukhtiar respectively, besides other students.

The CM also praised PT founder Imran Khan for establishing peace in the country, but stated the present government had failed to maintain law and order and innocent people were being killed by militants.

“The GDP growth was 6.1pc when our government was toppled which has now fallen to mere 3pc and everyone is eager to go abroad as 45pc population lives below the poverty line,” he said.

Vice Chancellor Khyber Medical University Prof Ziaul Haq expressed concern over the declining female medical professionals despite the fact they take admission on merit basis but don’t take jobs after getting married.

“In Punjab, 70 pc and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 50pc of female doctors don’t start medical practice despite being able to serve the people,” he said.

Prof Zia appreciated the government for encouraging female health professionals in medical as well as in allied health courses and said the country desperately required female health professionals to put brakes on the diseases that have been affecting women’s health. In most of the 27 medical colleges in the province, women outnumbered men but in the field the number of women doctors wasn’t up to a desired level, the VC KMU, said.

Dean KGMC Prof Shahzad Akbar Khan on the occasion urged the new graduates to hold moral and ethical values after entering the professional arena. According to him, the KGMC and its affiliated Hayatabad Medical Complex, Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Burn and Plastic Surgery have been providing top-level clinical and academic services to people.

However, he expressed concern over the shortage of funds for the completion of the accident and emergency department which is yet to go operational despite the completion of civil work.

Later, the chief minister gave shields to health minister Khaliqur Rehman, Prof Ziaul Haq, Prof Noorul Iman, Prof Shahzad Akbar Khan and Inamullah Khan Wazir.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2026