HYDERABAD, Feb 12: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan awarded 15 gold medals, a silver and a bronze medal and degrees and diplomas to more than 400 medical, dental and nursing graduates and postgraduates at the 6th regular annual convocation of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro on Monday.

A lady doctor Ayesha Jawaid alone bagged five gold medals and a silver medal while the position holders also received commendatory certificates.

The governor also announced Rs25,000 cash award for each gold medallist.

Soon after arriving in the university the governor laid the foundation stone for the entrance gate of main campus, inaugurated telemedicine project and visited the university’s digital library.

He also inaugurated molecular biology (genetics) laboratory and a multi-disciplinary basic medical science laboratory.

The governor in his address expressed satisfaction at the university’s progress over the years in all the disciplines of medical and dental sciences and appreciated the vice chancellor and faculty members for achieving academic excellence.

He especially referred to the publication of research material in national and international medical journals by the university scholars.

He hoped that the university would undertake research projects that could bring a qualitative improvement in combating common diseases prevalent in the country and improve the health delivery system.

The governor praised the university for paying attention to nursing education, which had been neglected in the past.

To the fresh graduate he said "Unless you are able to distribute the dividends of your training to humanity, your very purpose of becoming a doctor will remain unfulfilled."

The governor said while talking to journalists after the convocation that the universities’ performance when compared to past had greatly improved and they were now carrying out development projects worth billions of rupees.

He said that telemedicine system had been introduced in two districts of the province, Tando Muhammad Khan and Tando Allahyar and the civil hospitals of the two districts were being linked with digital library.

He said that the system would enable the poor patients to get specialists’ advice without having to travel to Karachi or Jamshoro. The digital library would bring 18,000 medical journals published all over the world to the medical graduates’ access, he said.

To a question about provincial autonomy and a proposal for abolishing the post of governor, he said, he could not give off-the-cuff remarks.