KARACHI: Prevention is as important to maintaining a healthy life, as is medical treatment. The Dow University of Health Sciences inaugurated its School of Public Health on Sunday. The school will train doctors to become health mangers and will cater to the need for skilled human resource personnel in the field of community health sciences, said DUHS vice chancellor Prof. Masood Hameed Khan.
The DUHS School of Public Health (SPH) will offer students a chance to students to pursue a masters degree in public health, bio-statistics and epidemiology, health policy management, nutritional sciences, social and behavioral sciences and an MPhil in health education, said the school’s director, Prof. Nighat Nisar. Students who have completed 16 years of education by attaining an MBBS degree or a degree in allied health science are eligible to opt for either a masters or MPhil degree programme at the school.
Dr Sabeena Jalal, the coordinator of the project, said that qualified students will eventually not only excel in their own careers, but will also become leaders in public health for the nation.
While talking about the job prospects of SPH students, Jalal said the graduates would have an opportunity to work in teaching hospitals, pharmaceuticals and local and international nongovernmental organisations, among others.
Prof Khan, who was the chief guest on the occasion, added that since Pakistan was a developing country, its society could not afford the financial burden of getting treatment for serious illnesses. “The graduates of this school need to implement ‘prevention is better than cure’ [idea], and enable provision of health services to all segments of the society irrespective of their affordability.
The DUHS vice chancellor also pointed out other successful projects undertaken by the university, which included the National Institute of Liver and GI diseases, the National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2012.
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