Gulf Medical University’s White Coat ceremony welcomes new batch of future healthcare professionals
The new batch of students of Gulf Medical University (GMU) – Ajman, the leading medical university in the Middle East region, participated in a time-honored tradition – the White Coat Ceremony – on 12th September 2019, receiving their first white coats as a rite of passage to their respective healthcare careers. Dr. Thumbay Modeen, Founder, President Board of Trustees, GMU was the chief guest of the ceremony. Prof. Hossam Hamdy, the Chancellor of GMU presided.
The incoming batch of 472 students joins the international community of GMU comprising of students from 80+ nationalities, pursuing various medical and healthcare courses across 6 colleges. Those receiving their white coats were students in the first year of various programs: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (BBMS), Associate Degree in Pre-Clinical Sciences (ADPCS), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), Bachelor of Science – Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.Sc. MLS), Bachelor of Science – Medical Imaging Sciences (B.Sc. MIS), Bachelor of Science - Anesthesia Technology (B.Sc. AT), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management and Economics (B.Sc. HME). The incoming students belong to various nationalities. For the students, donning the white coat symbolized their transition into healthcare professionals of the future, committed to providing compassionate care to patients.
Addressing the students, Prof. Hossam Hamdy reminded them that the world around them was changing rapidly in terms of communication, travel, treating patients, use of technology etc. “An important competency which will remain unchanged is the communication between human beings. The patients, the students, the healthcare providers and the medical educators are all humans. How to communicate, connect and interact and feel will play a key role in educating health professionals,” he said.
Emphasizing on the importance of teamwork, Prof. Hossam Hamdy said, “Medical practice is no longer a case of a single doctor caring for his or her patients. You are part of a team, bringing in the expertise of a larger group of professionals, working within a health care system. Teamwork is the one of the important competency you have to acquire during your studies and beyond.”
This academic year marks the first ever batches of GMU’s newly launched colleges; the College of Healthcare Management & Economics - the first full-fledged college of its kind in the Middle East region offering Bachelors and Executive Masters programs in healthcare management & economics, and the College of Nursing.
GMU has collaboration agreements with around 68 top international universities in Europe, United States, Japan and Far East, giving the students opportunities for trainings abroad. Graduate programs are now being offered jointly and in collaboration with the University of Arizona, United States, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States, Medical College of Wisconsin, United States, FAIMER, United States, CenMedic, United Kingdom and Tokyo Medical and Dental College, Japan. GMU also provides merit-based scholarships to students.
Offering a total of 26 accredited programs through its 6 colleges, the University has been at the forefront of attaining international recognitions, some of the recent ones being the College of Medicine’s recent accreditation based on ‘World Federation of Medical Education’ standards, becoming the first in the UAE and the Gulf region to achieve this feat. The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program offered by our College of Pharmacy was recognized by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), making it the first internationally certified entry-to-practice PharmD program in UAE. Recently, GMU also hosted the prestigious MRCPUK PACES (Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills) exam in collaboration with the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom, joining the exclusive list of international PACES exam centers in the region.
GMU uses cutting-edge technology in the classrooms to enrich the learning experience of students. The Virtual Patient Learning (VPL) developed by the university and the recently launched 3D classroom uses Artifical Intelligence and Virtual Reality to give GMU students an interactive learning experience.
Gulf Medical University also has the distinction of being the only private Academic Health System (AHS) in the region, linking the healthcare, education and research functions. Among some of the most recent notable achievements is the operations of the state-of-the-art Thumbay Medicity, which includes the Thumbay Dental Hospital, the Thumbay Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Hospital, and the Thumbay University Hospital. The University’s advanced research facility, the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM) drives its transformation into a research-based University. The institute is focused on conducting real time cancer and diabetes research with a focus on postgraduate studies and incorporating the research findings in our curriculum.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
