Dubai: In the history of the Dubai Medical College for Girls (DMCG) and Dubai Pharmacy College (DPC), the graduation ceremony on January 8, 2012 saw the highest number of Emirati women graduates.
A total of 127 students from both colleges were felicitated in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The ceremony lauded the DMCG’s 22nd batch of graduates and DPC’s 17th. It was held at Grand Hyatt Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammad expressed his happiness with the high number of Emirati graduates. He reaffirmed that education is the foundation for building a nation that is proud of its social, educational and modern achievements. He wished the graduates success, and urged them to strive towards more achievements to better serve their country and society.
Shaikh Mohammad praised the efforts of Haj Saeed Bin Ahmad Bin Lootah, Founder and President of DMCG and DPC, for setting up an educational edifice that continues to produce many Emirati graduates.
Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, honoured the top five students of both colleges and the top five students from the previous batches.
Speaking to Gulf News, Prof. Mohammad Jalal Al Deen, dean of Dubai Medical College for Girls, said, “The two graduating batches had the highest number of Emirati graduates — more than one-third — in the history of the institutions, among more than 20 nationalities.”
The professor said the along with honouring the top 10 students from the new batches, five students from earlier batches were recognised for their contribution towards research and medical practice.
“From the five older graduates, we had Dr Dujana Mustafa Al Hamed who is from the first batch of DMCG and Dr. Fatima Mohammad Abdul Gani Al Khamiri also from DMCG who is the first Emirati woman to work in forensic medicine with Dubai Police,” he said.
Graduates of DMCG hold leading positions in health care in the country and abroad, he said. “Almost half of the doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology in Dubai are graduates from DMC.”
He said that compared to earlier specialities of obstetrics and gynaecology, women are turning to specialities like surgery and internal medicine.
Prof. Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan, dean of DPC, added, “We are proud to see 70 of our students graduate. The demand for pharmacy students is high in Dubai due to increased health care competition. More than 50 per cent of recruitment is carried out at our campuses.”
Honorary dignitary Sayyida Alyaa Bint Saeed Al Thouni from Oman and patron of the Al Noor Association for the Blind, told Gulf News that a greater number of health care professionals is needed to keep pace with the strides in technology and health care. “We hope to see an increase in quality as well as quantity of supply for health professionals to reduce health related problems in the region.”
The DMCG was established in 1986 and DPC, the first pharmacy college in the Gulf, in 1992.
— With inputs from WAM
