PAMS convocation held: scientific nihilism responsible for economic, social problems: governor

Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana while addressing the 17th convocation of the Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences (PAMS) held at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Friday has blamed scientific nihilism for the current economic and social problems but made it clear that if "we sincerely wish to develop and grow in the future, we'll have no other option but to take the discourse of scientific development".
He urged the doctors to serve the poor. The health sector is facing manifold issues and the government is taking steps to provide quality healthcare facilities to the public, he said. PAMS President Doctor Muhammad Humayun said on the occasion that the basic objective of his academy is the recognition of the meritorious and scholarly achievements of physicians and biomedical scientists of Pakistan background.
During the convocation, fellowships were given to Professor Doctors Farhat Abbas, the Aga Khan Medical College Dean in Karachi, Khalid Hussain Janbaz, the Akson College of Pharmacy Principal, Mirpur University of Sciences and Technology, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Wasay, Professor of Neurology, Aga Khan University Karachi, and Muhammad Mukhtar, Chair, Department of Biotechnology, American University of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
The academy's Young Scientists Gold Medal awarded to Doctor Faridah Amin, Head of the Department of Family Medicine, Liaquat National University Medical College, Karachi, Ishrat Mahjabeen, Cancer Genetics Lab, Department of Biosciences, COMSATA Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Sajid Rashid, Assistant Professor, National Centre for Bioinformatics, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and Sobia Manzoor, Incharge Viral Hepatitis Research Group, HCB, Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad.
The Vice Chancellor of Isra University Hyderabad, Professor Doctors Ghulam Qadir A Kazi was given the academy's Excellence in Academic Leadership Gold Medal, Junaid Sarfraz Khan, university's Pro-Vice Chancellor got the Institutional Academic Award. Shakila Zaman, Dean, Lahore College of Public Health, LMDC, Lahore, got the Governor of Punjab - PAMS Public Health Award for her services in public health.
Founding President Professor Dr Khalid Awan said his academy encouraged young scientists with special recognition awards besides formulating scientific research, publishing papers and journals and presenting the scientific work of Pakistan internationally and provided funds for development of scientific research or project of scientific research.