India Doctors Forum (IDF), Kuwait organized its 16th annual Ghabqa celebration on 19th May at the Regency Hotel. Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy, Raj Gopal Singh graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, while the President of Kuwait Medical Association (KMA) Dr. Ahmed Thuwaini Al Enezi was the Guest of Honour.
Other prominent dignitaries who attended the event were the ambassadors of Guyana, Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan, as well as directors and chairpersons of various government and private hospitals, senior Kuwaiti doctors, officials from the ministry of health and other ministries, members of the Indian and Kuwaiti business community, prominent leaders of various Indian associations in Kuwait and a large number of IDF members and their families.
The event started with the singing of the national anthems of Kuwait and India after a brief introduction about the Gabqa as an integral part of Ramadan in the Middle East, by the IDF Vice President Dr. Madhu Gupta.
The IDF President, Dr. Surendra Nayak, wished everyone a blessed Ramadan. He thanked His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, the government and the people of Kuwait for their continuous support and encouragement to the Indian Community in Kuwait, and to IDF activities and members. He highlighted the continuous support and guidance for IDF received from the KMA to whom it is affiliated for all its activities.
He informed the gathering about sociocultural nature of the IDF and the various activities carried out by IDF such as 10 to 12 health camps every year for the needy, health seminars, cancer awareness program, school health campaigns, health quiz,annual health guide on varied health issues in simple language for the general public and some social, cultural and leisure activities for its members and their families.
This was followed by the former IDF president, Dr Amir Ahmed delivering an eloquent speech on the spiritual message of the five pillars of Islam. He also expounded on the significance of fasting during Ramadan and linked the benefits of fasting to the physical, mental, social and spiritual well being of a person.
In his brief address to the gathering, the deputy chief of mission spoke eloquently about the excellent relations between India and Kuwait and their people. For his part, Dr. Al Enezi spoke about the tremendous work being done by Indian doctors and the IDF in Kuwait. He added that IDF is the most active association under the umbrella of KMA, carrying out various useful and productive activities throughout the year.
A number of Kuwaiti guests prominent amongst them Dr. Mustafa Al Mousavi, head of Organ Transplant Centre and Abdul Aziz Al Duaiz, deputy CEO of KNPC spoke and praised highly about the hardworking, peace loving, tolerant, diligent, honest and law abiding nature of Indians, making them the biggest and most sought after expat community in Kuwait and for the contribution they have made in development of their adopted country and a home away from home.
Dr. Amal AlKhudr, Head of Department, Obstetrics & Gynecology at Farwaniya Hospital delightfully surprised everyone in the audience when she started her speech by greeting everyone in excellent Hindi and then elaborating about the significance of Ramadan, and how much she enjoys the various functions organized by IDF.
A highly informative and interactive quiz based on events, characters, and teachings of Quran related to Ramadan was the highlight of the day’s proceedings. All those who actively participated and gave correct answers received attractive gifts. The children of IDF members then presented a very colorful fancy dress show depicting the colors and styles traditional attires from different regions of India. All participating children were given special gifts and prizes Finally, Dr. Diwakar Chaluviah, vice president of IDF gave the vote of thanks and expressed his sincere heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended and helped make the event a memorable one.