AKU to provide critical care training to public health workers

The training is a collaborative effort between the Sindh govt and the medical varsity

KARACHI:

Aga Khan University (AKU), in collaboration with the Sindh government, will provide free training and technical assistance to public sector healthcare workers on critical care for Covid-19 patients, based on a joint decision made on Friday.

AKU chief executive officer Dr Shagufta Hassan, AKU medical college dean Dr Adil Haider and Sindh health department chief technical officer Dr Aijaz Khanzada signed a memorandum of understanding, announcing the partnership in the presence of Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Sindh health secretary Zahid Abbasi.

In this partnership, the university will provide capacity-building services in emergency medicine, critical care and nursing to frontline healthcare workers caring for Covid-19 patients at eight government-appointed hospitals.



Pechuho stated that Covid-19 continues to strain healthcare systems around the world and specialists in intensive care are preparing for the many challenges related to treating patients with life-threatening complications.

“We need allies like AKU to help us tackle the burden of Covid-19,” she said, adding, “Joining hands with experts in the field will help create a stronger healthcare system that is able to provide the best quality care to our people in these difficult times.”

Apart from capacity-building, healthcare professionals will also benefit from the varsity’s teleconsultation services on critical care issues, such as ventilator management of coronavirus patients.



They will further be able to make use of educational courses on social distancing and improving the safety of healthcare workers. These services will be provided by AKU specialists who have volunteered their expertise and time

“We are delighted to join hands with the government in extending our training and expertise in dealing with the critical care challenges posed by Covid-19,” declared Haider. “Our [AKU’s] faculty, physicians and nurses are ready to support the country during this unprecedented public health emergency.”