A range of organisations came together to mark South Asian Heritage Month at an event hosted at the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm) (29 July).
Amandeep Doll, Director for England at the Royal College, introduced the discussion on themes of unity and diversity.
“South Asian Heritage Month provides an opportunity to celebrate that diversity within the profession, to think about our rich cultures, the contributions that we make, and to really think about how, particularly, our communities are benefiting our patients, but also each other, and how we can learn from each other," she said.
“Let's embrace that spirit of unity in diversity by recognising that our strengths are our different. Our strengths are not barriers, but also our assets, and that's what makes us great,” she said.
“One of the greatest strengths in our healthcare professions is that diversity, and South Asian pharmacy professionals have made amazing contributions to pharmacy.”
In an impactful keynote presentation, Alishah Lakha, Pharmacy Technician, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for the Association of Pharmacy Technicians (APTUK), discussed her heritage, personal, professional life and leadership in a range of career achievements, including that in NHS England.
She said: “As I've reflected on my own journey, I've realised that none of us are shaped by just one experience, one culture, or the one person. We're all made up of the many threads: our families, our heritage, our workplaces, our colleagues, and the opportunities that we have been given.”
The journey of her grandfather’s family took them from Gujarat in India to Tanzania in East Africa, and to the UK, USA and Canada.
“When I think about where I'm from, and I think about that path that was laid before me, and all the sacrifices and the hardship, it really kind of brings it down to me that what is my purpose and what can I bring for my future generation as well.
“I worked in mental health, and in primary care, as a project manager, but always taking that part of me with me to kind of understand how I can support the communities or the people that are sometimes overlooked, sometimes need a little bit more attention.
“It's also made me very aware through my own experiences of belonging, about what kind of influence I can create and what kind of space I can make for others.”
“I've realised that how I view leadership is very much through impact rather than influence, and it's not just the impact of the work I've done today, but the impact that is for tomorrow and for the future as well. So, as we celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, we do celebrate our heritage. We celebrate our journeys, our experiences, and the people that have shaped us.”
As the first elected President of the Royal College of Pharmacy, Tase Oputu, noted the importance of continuing to consistently promote diversity of leadership across pharmacy.
She said: “I definitely hope that even though I'm the first black president of this Royal College, I hope that there will be many more people of colour examples of diversity to lead us in our profession to make sure that we are continuing to open that door and bring people through with us. Because, that is leadership, and that's really important for me as well.”
A panel session, facilitated Pharmacy Business’ editor Carolyn Scott, discussed heritage, identity and leadership, and the speakers’ advice on the implications for equity, inclusion and representation in pharmacy leadership. The panel welcomed: Anisa Islam, a pharmacist working in the Black Country and inclusivity and diversity ambassador in her workplace; Atif Shamim, Pharmacy Dean in London for NHS England, the first pharmacy dean of colour and the first Muslim pharmacy dean; Maheer Khan, an OSPAP graduate from Aston University and foundation trainee pharmacy, and Dalvinder Moman, lead pharmacy technician for Boots.
Atif Shamin, commented: “If you're talking about equality, diversity, kind of inclusion, make sure that those areas that you can directly influence yourself, those areas around you, have that actually kind of embedded as part of your day-to-day working journey. If you're on the front line, what are the things that you can do locally to actually influence the patients that you serve, but also the teams that work with you?”
Guests and representatives gathered for the discussion from the Pharmacy Technicians of Colour, APTUK, Female Pharmacy Leaders Network, British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (BPSA), Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), UK Black Pharmacist Association (UKBPA), Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists.
South Asian heritage was further celebrated through pharmacist Poonam Lumb, Lead Pharmacist for Women and Children, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, who is a talented spoken word poet. She wrote and performed an exclusive poem for the event, called ‘Thread Count’, reflecting a diversity theme of ‘Many threads, one fabric’.
Future upcoming diary dates include an online event for East and South East Asian Heritage Month on 16 September, followed by an event for the 10th year of the Royal College marking Black History Month to be held on 8 October.
