LAHORE: A medical university in Scotland has awarded an honorary fellowship to President Mamnoon Hussain in a bid to increase the cooperation between the two countries in the field of medicine.

The Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh hosted a visit by President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday who was in the UK for a series of visits, including Edinburgh in Scotland, along with First lady Begum Mahmooda Mamnoon Hussain. They were welcomed by College President Professor Derek Bell OBE.

President Hussain took part in a roll signing ceremony on receiving his honorary fellowship of the college and had a guided tour of the Georgian buildings on Queen Street, Edinburgh. Later on, he sat down with Professor Bell for a conversation on matters of mutual interest.

The pair discussed options for increased cooperation between the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Pakistani medical colleges and universities, including working in partnership with fellow doctors in Pakistan and Scotland. The two stressed to maximise the combined international experience.

They also spoke about the challenges of delivering world class public health in Scotland and Pakistan, as well as progress to date. Professor Aamir Khan, Regional Advisor for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was present on the occasion.

Professor Bell outlined some of the college’s world renowned education and training programmes, as well as the Quality Governance Collaborative, which is investigating NHS governance in the UK. Professor Bell is invited to Pakistan on 25 October as an ongoing commitment to working with colleagues in Pakistan.

At this occasion, Professor Bell said: “It was an honour for the college to host President Hussain, a renowned and respected world leader. I visited Pakistan earlier this year, and I was impressed by the range and quality of services in the hospitals I visited.

“President Hussain and I are interested in co-operation between this College and medical institutions and programmes in Pakistan. I think that this is an excellent and exciting opportunity for international medical collaboration, and my organisation looks forward to working closely with physicians from Pakistan for years to come.”