‘Students must uphold responsibilities towards elderly parents’

Srinagar, Sep 14: Dr Zubair Saleem, Senior Geriatric Consultant, addressed students of GMS Onagam, urging them to emphasise the importance of caring for their elderly parents with love and respect.

Speaking from his experience of examining over 30,000 elderly patients in the past 12 years, Dr Zubair highlighted the unfortunate reality that many older individuals face maltreatment in their own homes, often at the hands of their own children.

Quoting verses from the Holy Quran, Dr Zubair reminded students that “after fulfilling their duties to Allah, their next highest obligation is towards their parents.” He expressed regret that many in our society are failing in this duty. Referring to a recent distressing incident, where a young man was caught on camera while beating his elderly parents with slippers on a roadside, Dr Zubair explained that the incident prompted him to raise awareness among students about their responsibilities towards elders.

During the session, Dr. Zubair shared a personal experience from his time at SKIMS, where a mother on her deathbed had been asking to see her son one last time, but the son refused to come. “This heartbreaking incident was one of the reasons that led me to pursue geriatrics and advocate for the rights of the elderly,” Dr Zubair said in an emotional tone.

Headmaster of GMS Onagam, Javaid Jawad, expressed his gratitude to Dr Zubair for visiting the school and sharing his valuable insights with the students. He hoped that the session would inspire the students to grow into responsible and compassionate citizens, dedicated to the care and respect of their elders.