DR AFARAH KHAN is a gritty young lady who sets ambitious goals for which she pours her heart and energy out into achieving, even if it means coming up against a mountain of odds.A resident of Charity on the Essequibo Coast, she is currently the acting Regional Health Officer of Region Two, a post she has held for the past year.

Khan, who is from a humble background, attended the Anna Regina Multilateral School; and upon graduation, set her sights on making her childhood dream of becoming a doctor a reality. She was, however, faced with a major stumbling block: her parents, traditional East Indians, wanted her to marry and start a family soon after finishing school. Khan was defiant, and having achieved good grades at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, applied at the University of Guyana (UG) to pursue an Associate Degree Programme in Pharmacology, and her application was approved.

She was overjoyed at hearing the news, but her parents were not happy, because they did not even know she had applied to pursue studies at UG and was successful.
She pleaded with them, and eventually they listened to her and agreed that she would further her studies.

Khan successfully completed her studies and returned to the Essequibo Coast, where she worked for three years as a pharmacist.
Time was going and her parents were pressing her to marry; and one day, while running through the daily newspapers, she saw an advertisement on the Guyana-Cuba scholarship programme, and she applied and succeeded.

The good news caused a great uproar in her family; but Khan, who dearly loves her family, knew what she wanted in life and was prepared to give no ear to their disappointments, while, at the same time, she remained astutely respectful to her parents.

After much disagreement and debate, she related, she informed her family that if they don’t approved of her going to study medicine in Cuba, she would go on her own. Again, they eventually agreed, but with great reluctance.

Khan related that notwithstanding their disappointment, her parents gave her their full support during her studies in the Communist State. In 2009, she successful completed her studies and returned to practise medicine in Guyana.

Today, her parents have not regretted their decision, and are proud of her achievements; and equally so now that she is married.

Dr Khan is urging parents to make their children’s education a top priority, and she is urging young girls to qualify themselves academically before getting married.

“It is empowerment. It will help you to take care of yourself and children if you have to move on from an abusive relationship; and it will help you to better support your family if you are living together, and (you can) make a solid contribution to society,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.

Dr. Khan intends to further her education. She plans to specialise in the field of Public Health Management, since her new role is centred on management.

On a daily basis, she oversees management of the Charity and Suddie hospitals, the 11 health centres, and 20 health posts in the region.

Dr Khan says she enjoys helping persons who need help, and feels a great sense of satisfaction when they recover from their various illnesses.

This young doctor is advising young people to dream big in life.
“It does not matter where you come from, go after your dreams!” she urges.