Ziauddin University at BahriaPrime Minister addresses 6th convocation of Ziauddin University KARACHI, Aug 29 (APP)- Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that PPP led Governments made health a high priority, believing that the welfare of the people flows from investing in their health. The principles of our Health Policy as per our manifesto have been firstly, the “ guarantee of access to a doctor for every citizen through a National Health Service; secondly, the prevention of disease and thirdly, the guarantee that affordable medicines are available to all the sick and needy; and finally, the provision of good Medical Education and Training at various levels for health education policy
He was speaking as chief guest at the sixth convocation of Ziauddin University at Bahria Auditorium here Friday.
As many as 138 students were conferred degrees at the Convocation. Among the graduates there were 64 graduated in MBBS, 2 in B.Sc Medical Technology (Batch 6 honours), 3 (Batch 7 Honours), 20 (Batch
, B.Sc Medical technology (Lab Medicine), 4 (Batch 7), 10 (Batch
, M.D./MS Honorary Degrees 6, MD (Oncology) 2, Master in Clinical Laboratory 1, Bachelor in Physical Therapy 22 and 6 M.Phil students.
The Prime Minister referred to Lady Health Workers (LHW) programme which was initiated by the government and said it has been the most successful initiative in the preventive health sector in the last two decades.
It has increased contraceptive prevalence and reduced mother and child mortality ratios, he said and added that government will further consolidate this programme and take the number of LHWs up to 200,000 in the next 5 years, extending it to Katchi Abadis in urban areas.
He hoped to introduce a scheme for inducting 10,000 male health workers who, he said, will be introduced in parts of NWFP and Balochistan as per our manifesto.
The Prime Minister said that government intends to initiate a media campaign on various aspects of preventive health measures to increase awareness on health, safe motherhood, hygiene and nutrition.
Access to quality drugs has eluded the poor citizens of this country, he pointed out and said the government will endeavor to initiate a pro-people drugs policy for the Public Sector Health System and maintain prices within reach of common man for the WHO- approved list of 300 essential drugs.
The government, he stated, will also introduce competitive measures to ensure parity with regional price levels. A medical school must ensure that its students complete the degree programme, competent not only in technical skills but equally competent in the art of medicine.
“You must also remember that your professional lives are a trust to humanity, every minute of it thus is accountable and under scrutiny”, he told the passing out graduates.
Yousuf Raza Gilani said that all over the world the demand for accountability of doctors is increasing and this demand is coming from the patients themselves.
Pointing to graduates passing out today, the Prime Minister advised them not to ever consider themselves “Learned people”.
“Now that you have an impressive degree of MBBS; you rather see yourselves as “Learning people” as, like any other discipline, the field of Medicine is a ‘living’ field, he emphasised saying it is like a cell ever growing, ever progressive and so they as specialists must keep pace with this field.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stressed that a doctor must consider himself as a real service provider, a good source of his products which in his case is “care-giving” or healing.
He told them that they must strike a good balance between Medicine as a business and Medicine as a profession and said there is a very strong debate going on in the international arena whether medicine is an economic good or a social good.
Yousuf Raza Gilani said the argument of personal health care as an economic good implies that it is to be like any other consumable item and by virtue of that, subject to market forces. This is what the propounders of the economic theory of medicine believe.
On the other hand, the believers in health care as a social good believe in the inalienable right of all human beings to minimum level of health care.
“You need to be professionals rather than just sellers of a service. It would be your ethical duty to ensure that care is available to patients; be available when you are expected to be so, accepting such simple responsibilities as the obligation to return phone calls, to ensure adequate coverage when you are out of station.
The Prime Minister observed that when unethical practices among doctors become common, they lose confidence of their patients.
Thanks to modern technology, Prime Minister Gilani said the immunisations have brought about profound changes in levels of mortality and morbidity. First it were the ‘wonder drugs’ like cortisone and antibiotics that brought about miraculous recoveries. Then came the artificial parts, valves, hip and knees giving a new lease of life to the sufferers. Transplants of kidney etc. changed the longevity of the terminally ill. Now the new era of ‘Gene Therapy’ is changing the whole picture of diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive medicine.
He emphasised that with each of the new advancement added, the curriculum of the student and the resident physicians needs to be constantly revised and even changed to meet the demands of time.
The informatics revolution now requires a different set of skills and training than has been provided before, he said and added that a new high-tech profile curriculum will have to be developed but which does not reduce a patient to a mere statistic.
Patients require a special kind of sensitivity; therefore the physician of the future must still be taught the art of medicine, he stressed.
Basically, the Prime Minister noted, what patients want from their doctors is the very same 3Cs that our forefathers demanded:
Concluding, the Prime Minister was happy to note that Ziauddin University is moving from strength to strength and has now entered into the second decade of its existence.
The name of Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmed that the University carries evokes from it special responsibilities, he said and was confident that Chancellor Dr. Asim Hussain and Vice Chancellor Dr. Anwar Ejaz Beg are cognizant of their onerous responsibilities.
Earlier in his address Chancellor Ziauddin University, Dr. Asim Hussain said with the blessings of Allah the University, after successfully completing its first decade was now entering a new phase of advancement in the field of education.
He said the varsity’s development programme envisages shifting of the college of Pharmacy to the education city. He said the colleges of engineering, business management, physical sciences, mathemetics, social sciences and liberal arts, law and mass communication have also been planned in diffferent phases.
Congratulating the students on their graduation, the Chancellor wished them and their families a happy future.
He also thanked Vice-Chancellor, the faculty and especially the former Vice-Chancellor Shahid Aziz Siddiqi who, he said, symbolises an enviable blend of intellect and administrative acument.
Dr. Asim said the college, which was granted permission in 1994 to commence postgraduate degrees/ diplomas, is also recognised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and Pakiistan Medical and Dental Council.
In his welcome address, Vice Chancellor Dr. Anwar Ejaz Beg expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for his presence in the Convocation.
He said the past year has brought much intellectual and administrative satisfaction for the University. The PMDC upgraded the Medical College from provisional to comprehensive, recognised status. The Higher Education Commission also improved the standing of the University from ‘X’ to ‘W’ status which implies that it now fulfils all the conditions laid down by the Federal Cabinet.
He said, at present the University in conjunction with Indus Earth, a NGO is working in the coastal areas of Sindh. The University has also trained Master Trainers to provide indigenous medical back-up to four coastal villages for the ongoing CIDA- supported project.
Associated Press Of Pakistan