Public health sciences varsity on the cards
“Health communication is a very important subject, but in Pakistan, not a single medical institute has offered it over the years. After a lot of effort, the Health Services Academy has started a course to teach health communication skills.” PHOTO: FILE
Health Services Academy (HSA) Vice Chancellor Dr Shahzad Ali Khan has said that the National University of Public Health Sciences (NUPHS) is soon going to be established in the country.
“HSA is the country's first degree-awarding institute offering PhD, and Masters in Public Health (MPH) degrees in six disciplines,” Dr Shehzad expressed these views in an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune.
“When the institution was established, the number of students was 23 which has now reached 750,” he said.
The vice chancellor said that PC-1 for construction of the HSA building has been approved, adding that a seven-storied building will be constructed on seven acres of land and the construction work of the campus will start this year.
Dr Shehzad said schools of all fields will be established on the pattern of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). He said the HSA worked alongside the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on the frontline during the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“All the guidelines were also prepared by the HSA as it stood by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the World Health Organisation (WHO),” the VC said. Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Shehzad claimed that the HSA was the only institution in the country with 28 PhDs in its faculty. “We are working on training and capacity building. HSA's role is also prominent in the improvement of the Public Health Department,” he said. Dr Shehzad said that the HSA receives funding from a variety of sources, including fees, donations, and grants from USAID and HEC. “The HSA offers PhD, Masters and BSc programmes,” he said and added that not only doctors but also students of other fields were studying in the institute.
“The NCOC was incredibly helpful in curbing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added. The HSA vice chancellor went on to advise that coordination needed to be improved to control polio, hepatitis, cancer, dengue and other deadly diseases in Pakistan. “Breast cancer is not fatal, but women die due to ignorance and lack of awareness in Pakistan,” he said and added that if diagnosed at the first stage, it is treatable and millions of women have recovered.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2023.