Dr. Muhammad A. Ghani, board certified internal medicine physician, has joined Scotland Medical Center.

Originally from Lahore Punjab, Pakistan, where many of his family members still reside, Ghani earned his medical degree from the Nishtar Medical College in Multan, Pakistan. This summer he completed an internal medicine residency at The University of Tennessee and Health Science Center in Memphis.

Ghani’s home village has a population of about 30,000. Growing up there, Ghani says he was drawn to the nobility of the medical profession and the opportunity to influence lives. “Growing up in my village there were only a few doctors and even today there are still only one or two doctors to treat all those people. My father’s friend was a doctor and received great respect from the people he helped. I wanted to be just like him.”

Though the spectrum of medicine is about the same in Pakistan as here, Ghani finds the medical technology in the United States much more advanced than that in Pakistan. “People in my country don’t survive very long with diseases such as diabetes,” Ghani said. “In Pakistan they may live 10 years with the disease. I was astonished when I came to this country to find patients who have lived with diabetes for over 23 years. “

The art of diagnosis fascinates Ghani and led him on the path to the specialty of internal medicine. “I have extensive experience in treating dialysis patients and training in anesthesia. I have done many procedures such as intubation and placement of central venous lines, including femoral, subclavian and internal jugular. I like to focus on helping my patients to take better care of themselves."

Ghani married about eighteen months ago. He and his wife, Sabah, have a five-month old baby daughter, Annie. Though Sabah has earned a degree in chemistry, she plans to be a stay-at-home mother with their daughter. Her long-term plan is to be a chemistry teacher.

Ghani joins Doctors Mark Navaid, Jawad Iqbal, and Amir Azeem in providing internal medicine services to the adults of Scotland County.

The practice is located at 422 King St., Laurinburg. Appointments can be made with Dr. Ghani by calling -276-2100.