Dr Adeeb Rizvi pays tribute to volunteers: certificate ceremony held at SIUT

Every person has a responsibility to pass to others whatever knowledge and skill he keeps, and it should be a slogan of life, said Dr Adeeb-ul Hasan Rizvi, Director of Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (Siut) on Thursday.
He was addressing a certificate awarding ceremony of student volunteer programme for Batch-21 at Agha Hasan Auditorium. He said: "People are deprived in our society. Voluntarily this is a right way to help and add some happy moments to their life".
He welcomed the parents and volunteers and said he was very optimistic to see the energy and enthusiasm of all the young volunteers and believed that "our dreams will be realised by our new generation". He said: "We are very satisfied with the performance of our volunteers as they have shown great capability and eagerness. Even after completion of the programme, many students return regularly to help the hospital staff and serve patients".
Kishwar, an owner of a garment factory, who also work on voluntary basis, said that Suit arranges every year volunteer programme during schools' winter vacation. Nearly 2,200 students have taken part in the programme. Students volunteer programme is running for almost four years and 67 percent youth volunteers work in Siut.
She said: "This year, about 40 students from different schools volunteers participated in the Siut programme. Training consisted of 30 hours duration, and O and A level students took part in the programme". She said that the student volunteer programme benefits from activities in the wards, which for many of them, proves to be an invaluable experience. For many, it changes their perspective on life by interacting with patients from less privileged backgrounds and appreciate their willingness to fight the diseases they have. In this positive environment they develop confidence, social skills and a sense of charity and social responsibility, she added.
Students said that they attended informative medical lectures on hepatitis, diabetes, heart troubles and kidney failure by doctors who are specialists in their fields. They said that primary purpose of these lectures is to enable students to recognise, and respond to, emergency situations. With increased awareness at an early age, they are also better geared to appreciate the importance of prevention.
Volunteers were divided into small groups and assigned various hospital duties in the wards, outpatient departments, reception and record room, they said. Students were particularly helpful in the paediatric ward where they assisted parents and nurses and proved to be a great source of joy and entertainment for children laid up in bed. Some students helped in cleaning and old record room and organising files. Others met with transplant patients and came to appreciate their stories and struggles, they said. The programme also showed a film on the history of organ trafficking in Pakistan. It was followed by active discussions where students voiced their opinions and got a chance to reflect on the problems highlighted in the film.
Students vowed to stand up against this cruelty. These students proactively set up a forum on face book to solicit support for implementation of the organ law being currently flouted. At the end of the programme, Zanaib, a singer with eyesight handicap, presented a beautiful Siut's song, with Javeed Mir composition.