ISLAMABAD — More than 600 Pakistani future doctors graduated this week from the different medical colleagues in Cuba after completing years of education and practical practices.
Appreciating the hospitality of Cuban Government and people a representative of Pakistan future doctor, Muhammad Rashid Usman at the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spiritus was quoted as saying that Pakistani student were grateful to the Cuban leader and Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, who, after sending a team of medical workers to help Pakistan after 2005 earthquake had offered full scholarship to 1,000 grants to Pakistani students to study medicine in Cuba.
He recalled that the Cuban medical brigade was first to help Pakistani nation after devastating earthquake and Cuban team was the last to leave it.
More than 280 students from Pakistan also graduate this week, from the University of Medical Sciences of Cienfuegos.
The first group of Pakistani medical students had arrived in the Caribbean island of Cuba seven years ago, amidst trepidations for the unknown and hopes to prove themselves worthy of the warm-hearted Cuban gesture. Dr. Serafín Ruiz de Zárate Ruiz, at the University of Medicine in Villa Clara, had assumed the challenge to train these Pakistanis to become highly qualified doctors. As the graduation ceremony proved, he successfully met the challenge of first ensuring that the students mastered the Spanish language and then completed rigorous medical studies. Cuban doctors had been more effective in Pakistan’s difficult terrain than other foreign doctors because they were highly trained, because they were used to working in difficult conditions, and because a full half of their contingent were women. The Cuban doctors and nurses were readily accepted into the tents and homes of the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan.
At the graduation ceremony in Santa Clara, Pakistani Ambassador in Cuba, Khalil Ullah Qazi, expressed eternal thanks to the Cuban people, the Government and Fidel Castro for the scholarships. He stressed the solidarity formed between the young people of Cuba and Pakistan. Mr. Tahir Abbas Zaidi, HEC Director of the Project for Cuban Scholarships, was also present there. He stressed the excellence of the island’s health system, and the generosity of its people and Government.
During the graduation ceremony of the first batch of Pakistani medical students in Cuba, the most outstanding students received special recognition. Muhammad Shafqat was declared the best overall student, with the academic index (or GPA) of 5.47.
Muhammad shafqat in a speech he thanked the Cuban President on behalf of all the Pakistanis, he for granting an opportunity to receive the prestigious title of Doctor of Medicine.
The Pakistani students at Sancti Spiritus come from all the provinces of that country, including the semi-autonomous tribal regions of the northwest and the Pakistani area of Azad Kashmir, which lack medical personnel and where the health system is extremely fragile.
Cuban Ambassador to Pakistan HE Jesús Zenén Buergo Concepción has sent congratulations messages to Pakistani student upon completion of their education. With completion of education and becoming an expert of Spanish language Pakistan is perhaps for the first time has now more than 600 Spanish-speaking doctors.
In his message of congratulation, Ambassador Mr. Jesús Zenén Buergo Concepción has also congratulations to Pakistani authorities, the Higher Education Commission, the Government of Pakistan and all officials from various government institutions and all others who provided its full support to this project which now it’s successfully completed.
Ambassador Mr. Jesús Zenén Buergo Concepción also congratulations the family members of Pakistan student during their stay in Cuba by encouraging them to not miss out the opportunity provided by the Government of Cuba. -PPA News