Karachi: At a time when the world is facing an acute shortage of nurses and Pakistan itself needs hundreds of thousands of trained professionals, the College of Nursing at Dr K M Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi held its first convocation on Thursday, awarding Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees to 39 graduates.
Speakers at the ceremony said the global health system is short of around 2.5 million nurses, while Pakistan alone requires nearly 900,000 nurses to meet its healthcare needs, creating rare and immediate employment opportunities for qualified nursing graduates at home and abroad.
They noted that many young Pakistanis risk their lives in irregular migration in search of jobs overseas, whereas nursing remains one of the few professions where qualified graduates are already in demand across multiple countries, with structured pathways for overseas employment.
Adviser to the Governor of Sindh and Federal Secretary Syed Tariq Mustafa was the chief guest at the ceremony. Registrar Dow University of Health Sciences Dr Ashar Afaq administered the oath to students of the four-year BSN programme, committing them to professional ethics and service to humanity.
Addressing the graduates, Syed Tariq Mustafa said the convocation marked a proud moment for students and their families, adding that nursing was among the most respected professions globally because of its direct role in saving lives and caring for the sick.
He urged the graduates to continue their education and pursue specialisation and higher degrees to strengthen Pakistan’s healthcare system.
Director Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Muhammad Ali said the nursing profession offered vast opportunities and that international healthcare institutions were actively seeking Pakistani nurses, often approaching students even before they completed their degrees. He stressed the need to improve training quality and professional development to enable nurses to compete globally.
The ceremony was also addressed by Deputy Secretary Health Sindh Zohaib Ahmed Sheikh, Dr Sabir Memon, Dr Akram Sultan and Principal of the College of Nursing Dr Khair-un-Nisa, who highlighted the growing role of nurses in modern healthcare delivery and patient safety.
At the end of the ceremony, degrees were awarded to the graduating students. Sadaf Wazir secured first position and Sana Saif stood second, while third position was jointly secured by Samra Khalid, Uzma, Iqra Noor and Aliza Michael.
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