UHS awards degrees to 1,449 postgraduates at fourth convocation

LAHORE, Jul 21 (APP):The fourth convocation of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) was held on Tuesday, with 1,449 postgraduates receiving degrees in various disciplines.

The graduates who completed their programmes between 2022 and 2026 were awarded degrees at the ceremony, which was attended by Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique as chief guest.

Twenty-eight outstanding graduates were awarded gold medals for their exceptional performance in various fields, while 37 graduates received PhD degrees.

The university awarded 572 MS, 311 MPhil, 176 MD, 182 postgraduate diploma and 62 MS Nursing degrees. In addition, 53 MPH, 40 Master in Health Professions Education and 16 MDS degrees were conferred upon the graduates.

UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore, former health minister Prof Dr Javed Akram, Chairman Board of Governors Prof Farkhunda Wasim Farrukh and Prof Dr Rashid Latif Khan were among those present.

Former Director General Health Punjab Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof Tayyaba Wasim, Principal Ameer-ud-Din Medical College and General Hospital Lahore Prof Farooq Afzal, Principal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Prof Zohra Khanum, Prof Jalal Anjum, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, Prof Sardar Al-Freed Zafar, Prof Ayesha Shaukat, Prof Mahmood Shaukat, Executive Director Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Prof Asif Bashir and Prof Waris Farooqa also attended the ceremony.

Vice chancellors, principals and senior faculty members of various medical, dental and nursing institutions were also present. Prof Nadia Naseem administered the professional oath to the successful graduates.

Addressing the ceremony, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique congratulated the graduates and their families, saying it was a pleasure to attend the fourth convocation of UHS and celebrate the hard work, dedication and achievements of the students.

He said UHS, established in 2002, had emerged as a leading public-sector health sciences university, providing academic leadership to more than 200 affiliated institutions and serving over 150,000 students in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health sciences and postgraduate education.

The minister said the university had established a strong reputation for academic excellence through modern teaching methods, curriculum reforms, quality research, faculty development and a modern examination system. These initiatives, he added, were helping produce highly skilled doctors, specialists, researchers and teachers serving in Pakistan and various countries around the world.

He said it was encouraging to see UHS promoting innovation, strengthening research and expanding international collaboration, adding that these efforts would contribute to improving medical education, healthcare services and patient care across the country.

The minister said 1,435 graduates were being awarded degrees this year in PhD, MPhil, MS, MD, MDS, master’s and other postgraduate programmes, while medals were also being awarded to students who had demonstrated outstanding academic performance.

He said the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, was introducing innovative reforms to strengthen the healthcare system. Several major initiatives had been launched, including children’s heart surgery, kidney and liver transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, cochlear implants, corneal transplantation, cancer treatment, adult cardiac surgery and stroke management programmes.

Free dialysis facilities were also being provided across Punjab, while neurology services for children and adults were being expanded in government and private hospitals, he added.

The minister said the government was also establishing new children’s hospitals, cardiology institutes, burn units and medical colleges to improve healthcare facilities in southern, central and northern Punjab.

He said special attention was being given to the nursing sector, with nursing education now being offered in two shifts and around 6,000 students being admitted annually in morning and evening programmes.

Congratulating the graduates, the minister said their postgraduate degrees were not merely an honour but also carried a great responsibility.

“As you embark on the next chapter of your journey, always remember the values of honesty, compassion and service to humanity,” he said, urging the graduates to continue learning, uphold the highest ethical standards and always put their patients first.

He also appreciated the efforts of UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore, faculty members, supervisors, examiners and the university administration for maintaining high standards in medical education and research.

UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore said the university had made significant progress in postgraduate education, research, curriculum reforms and digitalisation. He said UHS was playing an active role in promoting medical education and modern postgraduate training in the country.