Nishtar Medical University (NMU) honoured its 350 graduates of Medical Bachelor and Bachelor Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor and Dental Surgery (BDS) with two female doctors who received 15 and 13 gold medals respectively for their outstanding performance. This time the convocation was organized after a period of three years due to COVID-19.
As many as 33 graduates were awarded gold medals while three got best graduates awards. Dr Saba Tahir was decorated with 15 gold medals , Dr Maha Zainab received 13 gold medals and Dr Sharmeen Bashir got 5 gold medals and were declared the best graduates. The MBBS graduates belonged to 2019-21 sessions while BDS graduates of Nishtar Institute of Dentistry (NID) were from 2016- 2020.
Governor Punjab Chaudhary Mohammad Sarwar was chief guest while UHS VC, Dr Javid Akram was guest of honor. Among other Provincial Minister, Dr Akhtar Malik, MPAs, Saleem Labar, Sabeel Gul, Additional Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education, Amjad Suhaib Tareen, BZU VC, Dr Mansoor Akbar Kundi, Emerson University VC, Dr Naveed Chaudhary, Ex principal NMC, Dr Kamran Salick, Principal Bakhtawar Amin Medical College, Dr Azhar Javid, Director MIKD, Dr Ali Imran Zaidi, faculty members and parents attended the convocation.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Governor Chaudhary Mohammad Sarwar congratulated graduates, their parents and teachers on the historic day. He urged them to work for the ailing humanity and extend best of their capabilities for the country. He informed that parents of the graduates played a vital role for triumph and achievements they had made adding that they were a lucky lot who had been chosen for saving lives of the public.
The Governor paid homage to all those medical practitioners who laid down their lives in line of duty during the pandemic and appreciated nurses, paramedics’ role for it. He advised the parents to let their daughters serve in medicine after graduation revealing that only 21 percent female doctors join the profession and most of them don’t continue with it after marriage.
He termed it a wakeup call for boys that most of the gold medalists were girls in convocations while they were lagging behind. In his progress report, NMU VC, Dr Rana Altaf Ahmad, shed light on overall achievements of the varsity including academic and infrastructure. He stated that the varsity had signed numerous MoUs with international varsities and organizations especially of research. The VC informed that the number of Operation Theatres (OTs) have risen from 21 to 31 besides introduction of various diplomas and courses.
Workshops of MD and MS courses under UHS are also being conducted at NMU so that students may not travel to Lahore for it, he maintained. Punjab Energy Minister, Dr Akhtar Malik informed about the solarization of NMU, Children Complex, BZU and Emerson University. He underlined the need of improving the education standard of NMU like in the past. UHS VC, Dr Javid Akram felicitated graduates and their parents and advised them to serve humanity wholeheartedly. Later, the Governor gave away degrees and gold medals among graduates.
