For Khizar Niazi, complet­ing his medical internship is only the start of a sterner test.

The newly inducted doctor was among 68 others who officially com­pleted their medical internships.

All four members of Mr Niazi’s family are doctors. Born in Islama­bad, Pakistan, the former Natabua High School student moved to the country in 2013 at the age of 10. He is now a Fijian citizen.

Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar, at the induc­tion event in Suva, reminded him and his colleagues of the important nature of their profession.

“Medicine is a unique profession. It gives you the opportunity to be present at some of the happiest times in an individual’s life – but also the most tragic,” Ms Akbar said.

“I would like to remind you to up­hold the values of the Ministry by having respect for human dignity, integrity, being customer-focused, responsive and practicing equity.”

The toughest part of the journey, said Mr Niazi, was the long hours during the medical internship.

“It’s been one of the toughest years for me (during the intern­ship). Sometimes I workers 100 or 110 hours but I loved every second of it,” he said.

“You have to struggle but at the end of the days there are rewards.”

The doctor now heads to Nadi Hos­pital for his next challenge. There, he hopes to serve to the best of his ability.

Mr Niazi said the concern of non-communicable diseases needed at­tention.

Former New Zealand Prime Min­ister Helen Clarke last December, at a civil society event in Suva, said NCDs represented a crisis for the South Pacific.

“NCDs are basically one of the biggest problems here and, because the Pacific is a tropical region, we have dengue outbreaks too,” she said.

“More than 50 per cent of my time (during the internship) was spent on these patients who have long-term health problems.”

Edited by Naisa Koroi

Feedback: sheldon.chanel@fijisun.com.fj