Friday, November 18, 2016
17
NEWS
Carlyle Primary Health Clinic welcomes Dr. Habiba Khanam Lynne Bell
Observer Staff
Family physician Dr. Habiba Khanam is practicing family medicine at the Carlyle Primary Health Clinic. Dr. Khanam, her husband and their three-yearold twin daughters welcome the opportunity to live in rural Saskatchewan. She says: “I grew up in a rural area and worked in rural Bangladesh. I love rural areas and that’s why I am happy to practice family medicine here.” Dr. Khanam has spent the last five years in Regina before coming to Carlyle. A graduate of Rangpur Medical College in Bangladesh, she has a keen interest in family medicine.
“ That’s what I prefer,” she says. “In family medicine, there is more scope to know people. As a physician, you are often dealing not only with physical things, but also mental things. You see that someone is not only their disease and often, there are many ways to help people.” “Patients look up to us to take decisions,” she adds. “I feel very honoured to practice family medicine.” Dr Khanam says of living in Canada and Saskatchewan: “I feel very fortunate to live here. There is no discrimination and we have been made very welcome.” “If I had one message to convey to people, it is that I am open-minded and I respect people. If we can stay above all of our differences we will be able to make a beautiful world.”
Who’s your hero? By Linda Wegner The past six days, November 7-12, 2016, have been filled with drama, suspense, shock, mourning, celebration and expressions of gratitude. As individuals, communities and nations we’ve witnessed the rise and fall of politicians, the death of a world-renowned musical and literary artist and a national day of remembering the sacrifices of men and women across our country and around the world. Phew, it’s been enough to knock the proverbial wind out of a person. It’s my custom when writing these weekly columns to pick a nugget of gold from some common experience of life but, I admit, this week it’s felt more like I was transversing a minefield than strolling through a meadow. Like you, I imagine, I’ve got friends who opted to vote for politicians on both sides of the spectrum; like others, I suspect, I loved the music of this artist but admittedly grimaced
at some of his life choices. When it came to fallen heroes, however, those hundreds of thousands of individuals who stood at Cenotaphs across our country were united in thanksgiving for the freedom we enjoy because others offered their lives to pay for it. Narrowing down the subject even more, I think I can safely say that over the years, men and women have chosen their heroes for reasons of their own. This week was simply the time in which those choices became evident to the world. Our pastor’s message this morning titled, “It’s not always as it seems,” reminded me of the absolute necessity of refusing to judge people or situations without knowing the whole story, but above all of keeping my eyes and heart focused on the One who is Lord of lords and King above all kings. In other words, He is my Hero. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith….” Hebrews 12:2
Staff photo by Lynne Bell
Dr. Habiba Khanam (pictured) is practicing family medicine at the Carlyle Primary Health Clinic. Dr. Khanam grew up in a rural area of Bangladesh and was educated at the country’s Rangpur Medical College and says: “I grew up in a rural area and practiced medicine in rural Bangladesh. I love rural areas and that’s why I am happy to practice family medicine here.”