Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique attended Rawalpindi Medical University’s 15th convocation as the special guest, where the ceremony opened with the recitation of the Holy Quran and Naat Rasool Kareem.
The minister toured several university departments alongside Vice Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Umar, Parliamentary Secretary and MPA Zia Ullah Shah, members of the university syndicate and faculty, and was briefed on RMU’s academic progress and achievements in medical education.
As chief guest, Khawaja Salman Rafique presented degrees and medals to top graduates and congratulated students and their parents, calling the day a proud milestone for those completing their training at one of Pakistan’s finest medical institutions and marking the pivotal beginning of practical life for new doctors.
Speaking about Health Reforms, the minister highlighted that improving the health sector is a top priority of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and outlined flagship initiatives including the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program, Kidney and Liver Transplant Program, Dialysis Program, Clinic on Wheels and the deployment of Field Hospitals to broaden access to care.
He noted major new facilities under development such as the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research in Lahore, the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore, the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha, and new children’s hospitals planned for Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi, while the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology has already opened to the public.
The minister said thousands of posts for medical officers, women medical officers, consultants, nurses, fellows and paramedical staff are being created across newly established hospitals to strengthen services, adding that ‘providing the best healthcare at people’s doorsteps is our top priority’ as part of broader Health Reforms in Punjab.
He praised RMU for its strong academic environment and the spirit of public service it fosters, calling fresh graduates ambassadors of their institution. At the conclusion of the event Vice Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Umar presented a commemorative shield to the provincial minister, and thanked him for attending the convocation and supporting the university’s mission to produce highly skilled medical professionals.
