Oman needs more local doctors, says expert

Muscat: Oman’s need for local physicians is increasing consistently even as the country lacks sufficient number of such medical professionals, Dr Yaseen Moosa Malallah Al Lawatia, Vice Dean of the Oman Medical College, emphasised at the White Coat Ceremony of the institution.
“Need for physicians that come from among the local community is on the rise but the Sultanate has insufficient number of Omani physicians,” Lawatia told the Times of Oman at the ceremony.
White Coat Ceremony for final year B.Pharm students, held under the patronage of Dr Mohammed Hamadan Al Rubaie, Director General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control, Ministry of Health, saw 133 medical students receiving white coats, marking their entry into practical training in Pharmacy.
They were cloaked by Vice Dean Dr. Yaseen Moosa Malallah Al- Lawatia and Professors Dr. Alka Ahuja and Dr. A.R. Mullaicharam.
“Our graduates have strived hard to reach these academic standards; our courses are challenging and are periodically reviewed by the West Virginia University,” Lawatia said.
Highly competent
“Our pharmacy graduates are highly competent and a majority of them qualify in the licensing exam conducted by the MOH,” he added.
“The institutions of higher learning are the major providers of a nation’s knowledge, knowledge work-force and innovative technologies,” Dr. Mohammed Hamdan Al-Rubaie said in his address to the guests at the ceremony.
He stressed that the pharmacist of today is required to be professionally competent, pro-active and prepared to undergo the process of rapid metamorphosis to acquire skills useful in advancing the pharmacy practice.
“With the advent of strong and highly specific therapeutic agents and emergence of a wide spectrum of drug delivery systems, the pharmacist of today is required to keep pace with the rapid changes taking place in the practice of pharmacy,” he added.
Pharmacist’s oath
Raid Mahmood Al Sabri, Director of Pharmacy & Medical stores of Khoula Hospital, administered the pharmacist’s oath to the students at the ceremony.
On behalf of the final year students, Ghada Khalifa Said Al Amri delivered a vote of thanks to parents and teachers. She recalled the journey that had brought them this far in their academic life and vowed to strive to do their country and families proud in the future.
Khulood Mohammed Rashid Al Fannah Al Araimi and Mohiuddin P Mohammed Ali, directors, Oman Medical College and Dr Saleh Mohamed Al Khusaiby, Dean, Oman Medical College were also present at the ceremony, along with the special guest.
The programme ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. P. Jayasekhar, Professor and Chair, Pharmacy Programme at OMC.