CM Afridi urges families to support women doctors after graduation

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Friday urged parents to help their daughters pursue medical careers after graduation, saying the province was facing a serious shortage of female doctors and that this was affecting healthcare for women patients.

Addressing the convocation ceremony at Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC), where he awarded degrees to 197 graduates of 2023-24, the chief minister said many families wanted women patients to be treated by lady doctors but did not allow their own daughters and sisters to continue medical practice after completing their studies.

“In our society, people want women patients to be treated by lady doctors but disallow their daughters and sisters to start medicine practice after graduation,” Mr. Afridi said.

He said the shortage of female doctors in the province had contributed to inadequate healthcare for women because many women doctors did not take up jobs after marriage. He suggested that parents should seek written assurances from the families of prospective brides that their daughters would be allowed to work in hospitals.

“The parents should take written commitments from the families of brides that they will allow their daughters to work in hospitals. This is the best way to ensure better healthcare for our women population,” the CM said.

Mr. Afridi said the government had begun recruiting 2,400 medical officers to address the shortage of doctors and added that the process would continue. He also said the government was considering increasing seats for residents of the merged districts in order to improve health services there.

During the ceremony, the chief minister awarded 17 gold medals to Qandeel Murtaza and 10 to Muqadas Mukhtiar, in addition to honouring other students.

University officials highlight decline in women entering practice

Vice Chancellor of Khyber Medical University Prof Ziaul Haq also expressed concern over the declining number of female medical professionals in active service, despite women securing admission on merit. He said many did not enter the profession after marriage.

“In Punjab 70 pc and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 50pc female doctors don’t start medical practice despite being able to serve the people,” he said.

Prof Ziaul Haq said the government deserved appreciation for encouraging female health professionals in medicine and allied health courses, adding that the country urgently needed more women health workers to help address diseases affecting women. He said women outnumbered men in most of the province’s 27 medical colleges, but their presence in the field remained below the desired level.

Dean KGMC Prof Shahzad Akbar Khan advised the graduates to uphold moral and ethical standards as they entered professional life. He said KGMC and its affiliated institutions — Hayatabad Medical Complex, Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology, Institute of Kidney Diseases, and Burn and Plastic Surgery — had been delivering high-level clinical and academic services.

However, he voiced concern over a shortage of funds for completion of the accident and emergency department, saying it had still not become operational despite the completion of civil work.

Remarks on economy and security

In his speech, the chief minister also praised PT founder Imran Khan for establishing peace in the country, while saying the present government had failed to maintain law and order and that innocent people were being killed by militants.

“The GDP growth was 6.1pc when our government was toppled which has now fallen to mere 3pc and everyone is eager to go abroad as 45pc population lives below the poverty line,” he said.

Later, the chief minister presented shields to health minister Khaliqur Rehman, Prof Ziaul Haq, Prof Noorul Iman, Prof Shahzad Akbar Khan and Inamullah Khan Wazir.