Dear Alumni:
By now, you may have heard the unfortunate news about Dr. Azam Ali, an alumnus of AKU Class of 1988 and one of the top ophthalmologists in Pakistan who became a target of belligerent violence (Video Links one and two).
Joining hands with APPNA, a joint statement was issued by AKUAANA in this regard to raise the voice and condemn such violence against healthcare professionals. We are grateful to APPNA’s President, an alumnus of AKU Class of 1999, Dr. Rizwan Khalid, for his prompt action. Several other letters and communications are underway in this regard.
Since addressing such matters requires coordination of efforts, thus to achieve optimum results in an efficient manner, the AKUAANA Executive Council (EC) has decided to set up an Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy, which will remain dedicated to matters of social justice that are close to the heart of membership of AKUAANA. This ad hoc committee will present its report during the AKUAANA Annual Meeting (July 2021) and thereafter with mutual consultation, its status may be changed from an ad hoc committee to a permanent standing committee within AKUAANA, with the composition of its members changing from time to time. Dr. Syed H. Jafri has kindly agreed to Chair this ad hoc committee while Dr. Syed Bakhtiyar will serve as Co-Chair.
On behalf of AKUAANA EC, I am announcing the AKUAANA Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy as follows:
| AKUAANA Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Members | ||
| Name | Class | |
| Syed H. Jafri | 2001 | Chair |
| Syed Shahyan Bakhtiyar | 2016 | Co-Chair |
| Sohail Noor | 1992 | |
| Lara Zuberi | 2000 | |
| Sumbul Ali | 2005 | |
| Volunteers | ||
| Farwa Ayub | 2016 | |
| Romesa Ibrahim | 2016 | |
| Abdul Basit Saeed | 2007 | |
The AKUAANA EC will not only be a part of this ad hoc committee but shall remain committed to offering all the support this Committee may need in raising the voice and fulfilling all other goals it sets surrounding any issue involving our alumni.
If you have a passion for social justice and would like to volunteer your valuable time to such causes, please reach out to the Chair of Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy, Dr. Jafri, at shrjafri@hotmail.com.
Regards,
Faisal H. Cheema
President | AKUAANA
On behalf of AKUAANA EC [President: Faisal Cheema | Secretary: Abdul Waheed | Treasurer: Tauseef ur Rehman | Immediate Past President: Namirah Jamshed | Ex-Officio Member: Abdul Basit Saeed]
Asma Altaf Hussain Merchant is a 4th year Medical Student who is passionate to pursue a career in surgery, specifically Cardiothoracic Surgery. Her interest lies in improving the quality of patient care and has co-founded “Multilingual Health”, an application focused on reducing the language barriers faced in healthcare. She is currently the Vice President of the Student Research Forum and the Society of Cardiac Sciences Collaboration, as well as the Director of Event Administration at the Surgery Interest Group. Her academic interests include surgical outcomes research and quality improvement.
Hamza Bangash is a Year IV MBBS Student who aims to pursue Internal Medicine and Healthcare Administration. Hamza has served as CEO of Quadragon, a student run NGO working to alleviate poverty in Pakistan, and currently serves as Treasurer at Falah, a student led non-profit organization operating within AKU.
Hussain Raza is currently a fourth-year Medical Student at The Aga Khan University who has a strong desire for pursuing medicine and academia. He is an active member of multiple student societies and holds leadership positions in Falah and Cardiac Sciences Collaboration. He is a passionate researcher who is still discovering his career interests, with cardiology being the specialty he is currently inclined towards. Hussain strongly believes in patient empathy and his goal is to become an academic physician who can make a difference in the field of medicine.
Muhammad Musaab Munir is a 4th Year Medical Student who is passionate about pursuing a career in General Surgery. He is interested in global surgery, surgical outcomes, disparities and inequities research. He is an avid reader who likes to read fiction, indulges in basketball, and enjoys travelling and exploring new cuisines.
Russell Seth Martins is a 4th Year Medical Student at The Aga Khan University with aspirations of a career in Surgery, Medical Education, and Public Health. He is an avid researcher, with interests in disparities in medical education and healthcare, and environmentalism in medicine. He currently serves as Director of the Research & Development Wing of the Society for Promoting Innovation in Education at the Aga Khan University.
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Moderator