MUZAFFARABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday stressed the formulation of an effective strategy to benefit from the valuable human resource of doctors in the country by promoting preventive medical treatment over the conventional curative method.
In his address at the convocation of Muzaffarabad Medical College, he said doctors and health practitioners could play an important role in addressing several neglected areas of healthcare where raising awareness could make a difference.
Dr Alvi mentioned the challenges of over-population, malnutrition of women, stunted growth of children, and obesity, and emphasized the active participation of doctors to guide people on preventive measures.
He expressed concern that the country’s around 10 percent population was suffering from Hepatitis with an estimated cost of $3 billion to be incurred on treatment. Through preventive steps, he said, the number of patients could be significantly reduced.
The president also called for devising a comprehensive policy to ensure maximum mainstreaming of women medical professionals to match the growing needs of healthcare.
He regretted that a large number of women doctors in the country quit jobs after wedlock, and termed it a big waste of national resources.
He, however, stressed that merely encouraging the women doctors to continue with their profession was not enough and a practical strategy was need of the hour.
He suggested promoting the concept of telemedicine and the medical consultation through Zoom to ensure continuity of women doctors in their profession, who generally leave jobs to fulfill domestic responsibilities.
He mentioned that the country was in dire need of 0.9 million nurses compared with the existing number of 0.2 million to address the challenges of healthcare.
Dr Alvi urged the medical graduates to keep alive the passion of humanity and compassion while pursuing their careers as doctors.
He emphasized the importance of good character-building of youth besides their formal professional education.
He advised the medical graduates to consider their profession as a sacred trust and pay back their motherland in shape of helping the humanity. The profession of medicine is incomplete without caring for mankind, he added.
The president assured his full support to the demand of establishment of a health sciences and medical university in AJK.
He said Pakistan would always extend its support to Kashmiris and had been persistently reminding the world regarding the unfulfilled promise made with the people of Kashmir.
He mentioned that Pakistan at the recent meeting of Organization of Islamic Cooperation also highlighted the plight of Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the Muslims in India were facing denial of basic human rights and mentioned a report of Genocide Watch that said that the minorities were facing severe hatred as the government tried to alter demography of the Valley.
The president felicitated the successful graduates, teachers and parents for their immense efforts and said a strong family system of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir was beauty of their societies that kept the diaspora connected with their homeland.
