UVAS assists health dept on policy framework: VC

LAHORE: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore in collaboration with Quality and Productivity Society of Pakistan organised a seminar on “One Health; Human, Animal and Environment Interface” here in City Campus on Wednesday.

Vice-Chancellor Meritorious Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, Foundation for Healthcare Improvement Lahore President Prof Syed Muhammad Awais, a number of guest speakers from different departments and institutions of Punjab, researchers, UVAS faculty members and postgraduate students attended the seminar. In his inaugural address, the vice-chancellor said that UVAS working closely with national organisations like Institute of Public Health and NIH was assisting the health department on policy framework. He said the university was offering MPhil programme in food safety and control and initiating MPhil programme in One Health from next semester. He said UVAS Departments of Epidemiology Public Health, Environmental Sciences, Food Sciences and Human Nutrition and Microbiology were undertaking research project on control of brucellosis, rabies, avian influenza and human flue, meat-borne pathogens, toxoplasmosis and food-borne diseases. He said UVAS was working on a project on University of Tennessee, USA and about 25 faculty members acquired training in one health. He said UVAS faculty members won a project for three million Canadian dollars from IDRC and working along with Purdue University scientists to develop alternative of antibiotics for poultry feed.

Guest speakers from different departments and institution of Punjab delivered lectures on different topics. Prof Syed Muhammad Awais delivered his lecture on standardisation of healthcare, Prof Syed Muhammad Awais spoke about various aspect of healthcare education in developed countries, national healthcare legal framework and structural organisation, operational organisation of health and standardisation.

Member Planning and Development Board Dr Sohail Saqlain spoke about role of information technology interventions in improving hospital services, Dean Institute of Public Health Lahore Prof Dr Zarfishan Tahir spoke about the definition, specialties of public health and global health, essential public health services. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health UVAS Associate Prof Dr Memoona Chaudhry spoke about one health at human and animal interface animal health and zoonotic disease.

Director General Nursing Punjab Ms Kausar Parveen also spoke. Ex-Principal Physiotherapy King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Ms Saleha Saleem Bukhari talked about quality of health education physical therapy in Pakistan. Professor Department of Environmental Sciences & Policy Lahore School of Economics Dr Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhry spoke about one health paradigm, local issues and global perspective. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition UVAS Ms Amina Chughtai talked about improving quality of life through nutrition. Dean Faculty of Pharmacy University of Punjab Prof Dr Khalid Hussain delivered a lecture on Scenario of Pharmaceutical care services and requirements for patient quality of life. Principal Dental Surgeon De Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, Dr Shamta Sufi spoke about contribution of Pakistani dentists to one health. At the end, Prof Syed Muhammad Awais presented the vote of thanks.

PU ranking: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed has vowed that with the efforts of PU administration and faculty members the university would hit new marks of excellence in the upcoming QS University Ranking.

He was addressing an interactive session on QS University Ranking organised by PU Ranking Committee at Al Raazi Hall here Wednesday. QS University Ranking Services Director Mr Ashwin Jerome Fernandes was the resource person while PU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, PU Ranking Committee Chairman Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood and a large number of faculty members participated in the session.

In his address, Dr Niaz Ahmed said that due to the efforts of PU administration and faculty members, PU had improved 39 times in QS Ranking and its various departments had been ranked for the first time from 200 to 500 top institutions worldwide. Moreover, he said, PU had also been declared number one in Pakistan in natural science research. He said that the administration had encouraged and promoted research culture and he would extend full support to faculty members which would contribute to improve international ranking of the varsity. He appreciated Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood for making efforts to improve university’s ranking.