UHS Syndicate approves multiple initiatives

LAHORE:The 82nd meeting of the Syndicate of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore. The meeting resulted in several key decisions, including the approval of curricula, faculty appointments, and institutional affiliations for various programmes.

The Syndicate decided that UHS should revisit nursing colleges in Punjab to check the status of their agreements with hospitals in order to standardise clinical training for students. It was agreed that private nursing institutions should provide stipends to students on par with public colleges. The Syndicate approved version 3.0 of the modular, integrated curriculum 2K23 for MBBS and endorsed Pakistan's first-ever five-year BDS degree programme introduced by UHS, calling it a historic milestone.

Additionally, the launch of skill-based, life-saving short courses in BDS, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health programmes was approved, benefiting approximately 150,000 students annually. On the recommendation of the selection board, the Syndicate approved the appointment of Dr Uruj Zehra as Professor of Anatomy, Dr Sumaira Ehsan as Associate Professor of Medical Education, Dr Zulfiqar Ali as Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine, and Dr Umera Saleem as Associate Professor of Hematology. Appointments of assistant professors in Anatomy, Hematology, Medical Education, Forensic Medicine, Public Health, Oral Biology, and Nursing, along with 13 lecturers in medical sciences, were also approved. The meeting approved the Regulations 2024 for MS, MD, and MDS Level III and IV programmes. It was decided, in principle, that UHS would also offer all Level IV programs currently conducted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP).

The framework for the five-year BDS programme was also finalised, and Prof Sarah Ghafoor was appointed Head of the Department of Dental Sciences and convener of the Board of Studies in Dentistry. The Syndicate approved increasing seats at Akhtar Saeed Dental College from 50 to 75 and affiliating the BS Nursing programmes of the Continental Institute of Nursing and the PKLI Institute of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences with UHS, based on the recommendations of the Affiliation Committee.

With this decision, students completing nursing and allied health programs at PKLI will now receive degrees from UHS. A three-member panel comprising Prof Ayesha Shaukat, Prof Soufia Farrukh, and Prof. Iqbal Hussain Dogar was formed to head the affiliation committee, with powers granted to the Vice-Chancellor to appoint the head of the committee based on the location of the institute to be inspected. Provisional registration was approved for postgraduate residents admitted to Punjab's government hospitals in 2023 and 2024.

It was decided that the amended UHS Service Statutes 2005 would be sent to the Specialized Healthcare Department for further processing as per the law. The Syndicate also approved rules for hostel residents and student health facilities and nominated new non-official members for the Boards of Studies in Pharmacy and Nursing. The meeting was attended by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Nadia Naseem, Registrar Kiran Fatima, Prof Arshad Cheema, Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Prof Sidrah Saleem, Prof Samina Kausar, Prof Asif Naveed, Dr Khalid Rahim, Prof Maryam Malik, Haider Amin, Prof Syed Asghar Naqi, Prof Soufia Farrukh, and additional secretaries from the Specialized Healthcare and Finance departments of Punjab.