NU holds virtual White Coat ceremony for College of Pharmacy students
MUSCAT: The College of Pharmacy, National University organised virtual White Coat ceremony at Bausher Campus on February 18, under the auspices of Vice Chancellor Dr Ali al Bemani. The Dignitaries included Dr Salim al Araimi, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost, Prof M P Nair, Chief Finance Officer and Executive Adviser, Nizamuddin, AVC, Dr Saleh al Khusaiby, NU Health Adviser.
College of Pharmacy was established as Oman Medical College in 2003 in academic partnership with West Virginia University, USA. It is the first private Pharmacy College licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Health in the Sultanate of Oman to provide Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) programme. More than 600 pharmacists have graduated from College of Pharmacy till date.
The “White Coat” emphasises professionalism and integrity among pharmacists and physicians as these students begin their clinical rotations. The White Coat Ceremony carries the symbolism of past accomplishments and entry into the professional programme.
Dr Ali al Bemani mentioned that this celebration is a take-off signal for pharmacy students to start their clinical training courses which will promote a sense of professional responsibility among the new pharmacists. Dr Ali wished success for the students.
Dr Salim al Araimi, DVC and Provost, congratulated students for arriving at this milestone in their career. He advised students to believe in themselves, to embrace the possibilities, reflect on the profound responsibility and work tirelessly to assure that patients receive maximum benefit from their medications with minimal risk.
Dr Khalid al Balushi, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, in his speech, sent a message to the students that wearing the white coat and undertaking the pharmacy oath is the start of their professional career that should be bound with the ethical and professional practice. He congratulated the students for arriving at this stage and gave a word of thanks to the College members, the academic and training partners, and to all College stakeholders.
Due to pandemic Covid-19 restrictions, Dr Khalid al Balushi, Dean College of Pharmacy, presented white coat virtually to a total of 54 students including Omani nationals and from other nationalities and administered The Pharmacist’s Oath of integrity. This was followed by awards to Dean’s List of Students and to the Students Council.
KHARTOUM: Sudan on Saturday accused Ethiopia of an “unforgivable insult” in its sharpest statement since a decades-old border dispute flared late last year.
Clashes erupted between Sudanese and Ethiopian forces over Al Fashqa, an area of fertile land settled by Ethiopian farmers that Sudan says lies on its side of a border demarcated at the start of the 20th century, which Ethiopia rejects.
In a statement on Thursday, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said it believes “the conflict being trumpeted by the Sudanese government’s military wing could only serve the interests of a third party at the expense of the Sudanese people”.
Sudan’s foreign ministry responded on Saturday by saying “slander towards Sudan and accusation of being an agent for other parties is a grave and unforgivable insult”.
It added: “What the Ethiopian foreign ministry cannot deny is the third party whose troops entered with Ethiopian troops trespassing on Sudanese land.”
Neither country specified the third parties to whom they were referring in their statements, although the veiled references underscored the potential for any conflict to embroil neighbouring countries. Ethiopia may have been referring to Egypt, which has been angered by Ethiopia’s construction of a massive hydropower dam on the Blue Nile. Sudan has also expressed concerns over the dam.
Sudan may have been referring to Eritrea, whose troops entered Ethiopia to support beleaguered federal forces in Tigray after a regional force attacked military bases in November, according to the United States and European Union.