Conference on family medicine from tomorrow

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) and Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) will hold a conference on family medicine entitled ‘Building Primary Care Capacity: Pakistan's Critical Need’ from tomorrow (March 4) to 5 on the RMU's main campus.

The event is meant to identify actionable items needed to enhance life expectancy and health outcomes in the country. These include the fostering of training programmes and policies for comprehensive development of Family Medicine, investing in public health and health systems, and initiating a crash programme for training nurses.

According to organisers, the conference is also consistent with the steps taken recently by the HEC to enhance the quality and relevance of the system of education in the country.

The APPNA experts will include Family Medicine faculty from US/Canada training programmes, including Residency programme directors. They will present the curriculum and structure of Family Medicine training in US/Canada and participate in design workshops to help Pakistan's participating teaching institutions develop primary care training.

Participants from Pakistan include Vice Chancellors and faculty members of medical universities and colleges, leaders from Federal and provincial health ministries, representatives of regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders.