Young Drs awarded at 6th convocation of Postgraduate Medical Institute

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the focus of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and provincial government is in providing best treatment facilities to the patients and revolutionary steps are being taken for this purpose. He said that nurses are an important pillar of healthcare system and government is taking various steps for their welfare including conversion of nursing schools into colleges and revision of curriculum.

He said this while addressing 6^th convocation of Postgraduate Medical Institute(PGMI) at a local hotel, here today. VC University of Health Sciences Maj.Gen.(R) Dr. Muhammad Aslam, Principal PGMI Prof. Anjum Habib Vohra, Chairman Board of Management Gen.(R) Zia-ud-Din Butt, faculty members, retired and in-service principals of different medical colleges, superintendents of the hospitals, students and their parents were present on this occasion.

Kh Salman Rafique said that PML-N government believes in practical measures instead of slogans and the steps taken for the upgradation of healthcare system are unprecedented. He said that government has provided a solid base for the development of primary and secondary healthcare. He said that reforms have been introduced at BHUs, THQs and DHQs hospitals through Chief Minister Health Roadmap. He said that special pay package has been offered to the specialized doctors for posting at THQs and DHQs hospitals. He said that these specialists would get upto Rs.1.5 lakh additional allowance during their posting in the said hospitals. He lauded the services of Prof. Anjum Habib Vohra as principal PGMI. He said that PGMI is providing opportunities to the doctors for research in different fields of medical sciences besides fulfilling the requirement of specialist doctors in the country. The Advisor said that Health Department is taking necessary steps to complete institute of neuro sciences at Lahore General Hospital, in this connection he himself attended meetings with the senior officers of C&W department.

Earlier, Principal Anjum Habib Vohra informed that PGMI is imparting diploma and degree courses in different subjects of medical sciences which included 34 degree courses and 12 diploma courses. He said that PGMI is not only fulfilling the needs of young doctors in Punjab but also providing specialist doctors to Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, Islamabad, FATA, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He said that students of different countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Arab countries are getting benefit from the teaching and research facilities of PGMI. VC UHS Maj.Gen.(R) Dr. Muhammad Aslam said that high positions cannot be obtained through charity but it needs vigorous efforts and hardworking to achieve high goals in life. He said that the medical ethics in developed countries are changing and a paradigm shifting is in process.

Today focus is not only on the rights of doctors but there is also awareness of rights of patients. He asked the degree holders that their new journey has been started from today and their curiosity and research should be continued for the welfare of humanity. He emphasized the importance of role of nurses and paramedics in patients care and said that nurses and paramedics spend more time on patient care, therefore, government should pay attention for their welfare. Later, VC UHS and Advisor Kh. Salman Rafiq distributed degrees and gold medals among the postgraduate doctors.