ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi Tuesday said there is need for increasing women’s participation in the workforce, especially after they have completed their education.
The president expressed these views while addressing a convocation of the Foundation University, in Islamabad on Tuesday.
He underscored that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure that women are provided with protection against harassment, fostering a safe and conducive environment for them to pursue their careers.
The president said that Pakistan was in high need of retaining its skilled professionals including doctors and nurses, and stressed that the present situation necessitated an effective strategy to prevent brain drain. “Offering competitive job opportunities and creating a favourable work environment is essential to reduce the loss of our precious intellectual elite,” he said.
The president also drew attention to the alarming statistic that approximately 20 million children in Pakistan are currently deprived of access to education. He emphasized all segments of society to collaborate in tackling this challenge, highlighting the importance of concerted efforts to promote education and eradicate illiteracy.
He said Pakistan requires graduates in all disciplines including medicine and engineering. He however stressed the importance of creating opportunities for them within the country to prevent brain drain. He said that the country invested its resources in doctors, engineers, and other professionals, however, the flight of skilled human capital had a negative impact on the economy and developmental growth. He said the effective way to reduce the need for skilled doctors to seek employment abroad was to create better employment opportunities for them within the country.
The president said that Pakistan needed 900,000 nurses compared to the available 300,000 at present to cope with the requirements in the field of health services. He said that only nine percent of students of FSc (Faculty of Sciences) Pre-Medical got admission to medical colleges in Pakistan, while the statistics were 25 percent in India and Bangladesh.
The president advised the medical graduates to adopt the values of empathy and kindness while treating their patients. He highlighted the importance of preventative rather than curative medicine by educating the masses about communicable diseases and oral hygiene.
Director of Foundation University School of Health Sciences, Major General (retired) Imran Fazal said the institution was providing the best quality dental education to undergraduate and postgraduate students covering all aspects of patient care and management. The nursing department, he said, was delivering excellent education and producing high-quality graduates.
The president gave away medals and merit certificates to the graduates.
A total of 54 graduates of Bachelor of Dental Sciences (BDS), 23 of Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and 34 graduates of pre-Bachelor degree in nursing were given degrees.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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