Speakers at a function on Tuesday expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Germany for their generous support to improve health services and health related education in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the aftermath of the devastating 2005 earthquake.
The ceremony was held in the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir's (UAJK) Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences to mark the completion of four years of academic studies and training in the allied teaching hospitals by the region’s first ever batch of Bachelor of Science (BS) in Medical Technology.
It may be recalled here that after the destructive temblor, the German government offered rehabilitation and reconstruction of three hospitals in as many affected AJK towns, financing the project by a grant fund of €30 million through its KfW Development Bank.
The project also envisaged training and skill development measures for the hospital personnel for better service delivery through Theodor Fliedner Academy, which was later converted into a full-fledged faculty of UAJK.
The first batch comprising around 80 health department employees (paramedics and health technicians) and 30 private candidates started their classes in March 2010 without any tuition fees.
That batch, which was gradually reduced to 82 students, rolled out last month after successfully completing the 4-year degree programme.
They will receive their degrees in diverse medical disciplines such as anaesthesiology, cardiovascular technology, clinical laboratory sciences, radiology and imaging sciences, dialysis, emergency medicine, physiotherapy and surgical technology.
The ceremony was told that other than them, the strength of students in four batches stood at 428, with 60 per cent female enrolment, reflecting and facilitating women empowerment in AJK.
“On behalf of the AJK people, we express our most sincere gratitude and admire the philanthropy by the German people represented by their government in creating a great opportunity for our youth who opt to become allied health professionals and serve the ailing humanity,” said Prof Dr Bashir ur Rehman Kanth, faculty’s director on the occasion.
He pointed out that Pakistan and AJK desperately lacked professionally trained allied health personnel at par with the international standards, as currently only four public sector universities in the country were offering this vital education.
“The deficiency not only affects the healthcare quality but also the operationalisation and maintenance of sophisticated and costly medical equipment and gadgets procured by and for the healthcare facilities,” he said.
Dr Kanth said the programme was expected to be extremely useful in both short and long terms as properly trained graduates in medical technology had bright prospects of grabbing jobs not just within the country but also abroad.
Assistant Prof Dr Raja Mushtaq Ahmed and first batch student Amna Kazmi also spoke at the function, which was told that UAJK Vice Chancellor Dr Dilnawaz Ahmed Gardezi had also written a letter of thanks to the Islamabad based German ambassador, besides inviting him to the faculty at his convenience to the delight of its members and students….. Tariq Naqash
No comments:
Post a Comment