Developing Medical Education in Pakistan

Partner Institutes
University of Liverpool	University of Health Sciences

Disease, malnutrition, a lack of clean drinking water and high infant mortality rate – these are just some of the health problems that Pakistan has to face today. Add to that the growing number of emergencies that have befallen the country – not only the devastating natural disasters like the recent floods but also the numerous bomb blasts that occur periodically – and you have a set of challenges that any developing country would find daunting.

In such circumstances, it is important to invest in the training of local health professionals and constantly update their skills so that they are capable of meeting these challenges. Medical Education is a strand of medicine that focuses on these very areas – providing training and continuous professional development to health practitioners.

The University of Health Sciences in Lahore has over 24 affiliated medical colleges with departments dedicated to Medical Education, but they realise that they lack the latest knowledge and skills required for efficient practise. Hence, the university is collaborating with the University of Liverpool under the INSPIRE banner to develop an innovative and sustainable project aimed to increase efficiency, enhance research and secure funding for health projects.

Workshops and staff exchanges between the two institutions are being carried out.  Project progress and lessons learnt have been presented at International conferences.  It is intended to support the publication of Pakistani research in international journals. Another important development underway is a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education (UHS) administered by the University of Liverpool in Pakistan.

Health in Pakistan receives a tiny portion of the total national expenditure. Any project that aims to strengthen the local medical profession has the potential to affect millions. This collaborative INSPIRE partnership can be groundbreaking in terms of the positive changes it brings about in the health industry and the delivery of quality service.

Lessons learnt:

• Working across cultures, especially institutional cultures, and the need to embed structures for sustainability is a major learning process
• Inter-personal relationships in such projects are critical. Because of the nature of the project, is very dependent on the enthusiasm of key stakeholders.

 Challenges faced:

• Due to different cultures, it is often difficult to keep up the pace on the same level at both universities.
• Tracking funding from British Council was a challenging task.
  
  

Impact:

• The project would have a sustainable impact as Post-graduate programmes have been started at University of Health Sciences which are facilitated by University of Liverpool.
• There is also a strong possibility that students from University of Health Sciences would advance to PhD at University of Liverpool.
• A new programme called “Introduction to Medical Education” is also in process under this project. This programme will be aimed at new staff members.

Key contacts:

Dr. Ian Willis, University of Liverpool

ian.willis@liverpool.ac.uk, www.liverpool.ac.uk

Prof. Arif Rashid Khawaja, University of Health Sciences

med@uhs.edu.pk, www.uhs.edu.pk