LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Law Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan on Tuesday attended the first convocation ceremony of the BS Nursing programme at the College of Nursing, Ameer-ud-Din Medical College, Lahore General Hospital, distributing certificates and honours among 96 graduates of the pioneer batch.
The Law Minister personally awarded a cash prize of Rs50,000 to the student who secured first position.
Principal Ameer-ud-Din Medical College Prof. Dr Farooq Afzal, Medical Superintendent Lahore General Hospital Prof. Dr Faryad Hussain, Principal College of Nursing Samina Kausar, Registrar University of Health Sciences Kiran Fatima, Deputy Director Nursing Shaheen Kausar, Prof. Amna Ahsan Cheema, Dr Abdul Aziz, Dr Sundas Tahir, Dr Nadia Arshad, Deputy Chief Nursing Superintendent Saima Fatah, administrative doctors, faculty members, parents and students attended the ceremony.
Addressing the convocation, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan congratulated the pioneer batch, their parents, teachers and the college administration, describing the day as a moment of immense joy and pride.
He said the graduates were not merely receiving degrees but entering practical life with knowledge, professional skills, a sense of responsibility and a commitment to serving humanity.
As the first graduating class of the college, the Minister said, the pioneer batch carried a special responsibility, since future generations would look upon them as the institution’s first representatives. Being a pioneer, he said, was not only an honour but a great responsibility.
He told the graduates not to be intimidated by the challenges of professional life and to remain focused on their purpose. Their goal, he said, should not be limited to securing a good job; they should use their knowledge, abilities and character to bring relief, hope and comfort to suffering humanity.
Principal Ameer-ud-Din Medical College Prof. Dr Farooq Afzal said the successful completion of the first BS Nursing batch was a historic milestone for the institution. He appreciated the efforts of the faculty and administration and said all relevant departments had played an important role in the education and training of the students.
He also paid tribute to the parents, saying that behind every student’s success lay the hard work, sacrifices and continuous support of parents and teachers. The parents, he said, had played a vital role in the education and upbringing of their daughters, enabling them to reach this milestone.
Congratulating the graduates, Prof. Dr Farooq Afzal said nursing was a fundamental component of the healthcare system and that well-trained nursing staff played a vital role in providing quality healthcare services to patients.
Principal College of Nursing Samina Kausar briefed participants on the college’s academic and training activities and the professional development of the students. Registrar University of Health Sciences Kiran Fatima administered the professional oath to the graduating class.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Provincial Law Minister distributed certificates among the 96 graduates.
The shift from diploma-based nursing training to four-year BS Nursing degrees represents one of the more consequential structural reforms in Pakistan’s health workforce, aligning domestic qualifications with international standards and opening pathways into postgraduate specialisation, teaching and hospital management.
Pakistan’s nurse-to-patient ratios remain well below World Health Organization benchmarks, and the shortfall is felt most acutely in critical care and specialised wards. Each graduating BS cohort adds to a professional pool that has historically been too small to staff the country’s expanding tertiary hospital capacity.
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