Dear Nishtarians:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for giving me the honor to serve as your treasurer, General Secretary, president elect and this year as a President of Nishtar Alumni. 

Nishtar Alumni of North America, with the help of its dedicated members like you, had an excellent and very successful year. In 2008, we have completed an educational project in Nishtar Medical College to start ACLS and BLS classes. For that purpose in the emergency room, a large conference room and training center has been built and furnished. This class room has state of the art audio visual support and furnishing. For 2008-2009, we have selected extension of pediatric ward (pediatric project). This project was presented at the summer meeting of 2008 to General body meeting for approval and fundraising. The pediatric project is now under construction. The ground breaking ceremony was two months ago and currently first phase of the construction is underway with completion of basement. This project will add at least 100 beds to existing two pediatric wards with additional spacious area for pediatric class room that will be completed at later stage. The project is going to cost approximately 50 thousand dollars all of which was raised with generous support from our members during the annual summer meeting in Washington DC. Currently we are working with Nishtar administration to select a Project for 2009-2010 which will be presented to NANA members at summer meeting in San Francisco.

Our scholarship project to help Nishtar Medical College Students with financial hardship was started in 2006. Scholarship project is in full swing under the leadership of Dr Ghulam Qadir. We are currently awarding scholarship to 21 medical students at Nishtar Medical College. The scholarship is awarded to the most deserving students after careful review of the applications by the scholarship committee following strict criteria.

As a president of Alumni, I want to assure you that our association is working very hard in a very transparent way to achieve our objectives. Our accounts are currently very transparent and available for any member to review upon request.

According to the central APPNA data base, there are close to 700 Nishtarians living in the United States and hardly 60 to 70 of us are active members, which is one of the lowest ratios of participation as compared to other Alumni.

My dearest Nishtarians, I need your advice and suggestion as how to attract other Nishtarians to become active members. All of you will agree with me that Nishtar Medical College have played a major role in our achievements/accomplishments in our adopted homeland. I feel it is our moral obligation to pay back in whatever way we can, whether in terms of time, monetary, guidance or expertise to bring Nishtar Medical College at par with other institutions. In this respect the minimum that all of us can do is to become active member of the Alumni. Please log on to our website Nishtar.org to print the membership form. Please feel free to call me or send your suggestions.

The registration for 2009 annual summer being held in San Francisco meeting is currently open. The Alumni dinner will be on Friday July 3rd at 6.30 pm. I invite you, your family and friends to attend our Alumni dinner meeting and show your support for Alumni.

I am looking forward to see you there. 

Sincerely

Abdul Jabbar, MD,

President Nishtar Alumni 2009