Tag: (NUMS)

Rawalpindi, November 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):The NUMS Department of Public Health (NDPH) in collaboration with Firefly organized an awareness session titled, “Anxiety: Contemporary Issues in Youth on November 3rd, 2021. The session was moderated by BSPH students Miss Iffa Zahid and Mr Waleed Sheikh and attended by faculty and students. As mental illness is one of leading contributory of years loss to productive life and is growing into a silent epidemic among youth, it is important for education institutions to create awareness and safe place where students feel comfortable to talk their issues. Moreover, COVID 19 pandemic has worsened the situation evident by the increasing new cases of anxiety and depression.

The Firefly organization is dedicated to raising awareness, changing the talk, and finding solutions for the students. Their team. Mr Abdullah Kiyani, co-founder of the organization and Tamara Albaja, visiting psychologist, briefed the student regarding stigmas and taboos related to mental health, common issues, management techniques and the role of peers, parents, teachers and society at large in lending support. The team shared a presentation, discussed their personal journey and how it inspired them to establish Firefly. The highlight was the interactive session of students.

The students appreciated the efforts of the young leadership and showed great interest in their volunteer work. The students discussed issues including expectations to do well at school from parents and family, peer pressure, social relationships with friends, extracurricular commitments and life challenges. Mr Abdullah encouraged students to discuss their anxiety and fears with their parents and trusted colleagues. He emphasized the need of trained psychologist in educational institutions and availability of platforms for students to talk freely without any prejudice about anxiety and stress. The team also explained internship initiatives and research opportunities within their organizations and encouraged establishment of mental wellness societies within institutions for creating awareness.

Dean MDS Prof Dr. Aisha Mohyuddin, in her concluding remarks counselled students regarding peer pressure, norms of social media, importance of parents advice and reminded that good intentions are always rewarded. Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan, Head of Department DPH gave note of thanks to all the participants and guests. She acknowledged the contribution of Firefly organization and appreciated faculty of DPH including, Dr Tamkeen Jaffery, Dr Hina Shan, Dr Rehma Gilani and Ms Rubab Zulfiqar for providing supervision to the students in the arrangement of events. The event was concluded with the pledge that NUMS will continue such events to create mental health awareness and encourage students to discuss issues with their teachers, friends and parents.

For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Rawalpindi, October 13, 2021 (PPI-OT): Improvement of the existing knowledge and practices in the fields of medical and life sciences is part of NUMS mission. Training of researchers and healthcare professionals is one of the most suitable approaches to elevate the quality of research and healthcare practices in the country. Skill enhancement of the personnel in the areas lying at the intersection of biomedical research and healthcare practices is the need of the hour to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Keeping this in view, a two-day Hands-on training workshop on Real-Time PCR was organized by the Department of Biological Sciences, NUMS in collaboration with Sure Biodiagnostics and Quaid-e-Azam University, at the NUMS PWD campus. A cohort of 25 researchers/academicians and professionals attended this hands-on training workshop, which included practical aspects of qPCR including RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, assay designing, and data analysis.

In wake of COVID-19 diagnosis and testing, training on Real-Time PCR was a very timely initiative because the national health system is in dire need of a trained human resource for the extensive and accurate testing for COVID-19 across the country. NUMS Department of Biological Sciences has a diverse faculty consisting of researchers with a variety of research expertise. A team from NDBS including Dr. Hussain M. Wahedi, Dr. Liaqat Ali, Dr. Munazza Fatima, Dr. Deeba Amraiz, Dr. Tahir Naeem, and Dr. Humayn Satti actively participated in this training workshop as organizers and trainers.

Undergraduate students Fatima Asif and Sidra Qamar along with lab technologists Kaleem Ullah Shah and Muhammad Bilal Khan facilitated the organizer in the arrangements. Dr. Rizwan Alam, and Ms. Durre Shehwar from the Biochemistry department, QAU joined the NUMS team and demonstrated various aspects of RT-PCR. The lecture part consisted of a detailed overview and theoretical knowledge of the Real-time PCR technique and experiment design. Moreover, data acquisition and analysis were also thoroughly demonstrated by the instructors.

The event was sponsored by Sure Biodiagnostics, a leading company dealing in scientific equipment and laboratory items. According to the organizers, this training workshop was the first in the series of several training workshops to be organized by the NUMS Department of Biological Sciences in the future. Successful organization and positive feedback from the participants are a really good sign for the NUMS Department of Biological Sciences. It speaks of the research capacity of the NUMS Department of Biological Sciences and its faculty.

This experience will not only help in organizing future training workshops in the department but will also increase the outreach of the research portfolio of the department to the research and academic fraternity as well as to the community. The collaborative nature of this will play an important role in developing research and academic collaborations between the researchers from the NUMS Department of Biological Sciences and other universities both at the individual level as well as at the departmental level. Dr. Jawad Hassan, HoD NDBS, distributed certificates to all participants and congratulated the organizing team for the successful conduct of the workshop.

For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Rawalpindi, September 29, 2021 (PPI-OT):With the increasing number of high-profile sexual harassment allegations all over the world, the media and the leaders are turning towards a simple solution that is to make anti-sexual harassment training mandatory in the workplaces. The Government of Pakistan passed two laws to curtail sexual harassment in 2010 – the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, with amendments in Section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code relating to sexual harassment at the workplace and the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act.

The laws entail that the management of the Universities/ organizations are responsible to provide formal awareness to all employees about the existing Acts, the Committee and the procedure of reporting cases, formulate a three-members “Standing Inquiry Committee” with at least one female member, and display the “Code of Conduct” in the organisation.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan has also promulgated a policy in this regard and has ensured strict and mandatory implementation of the policy across the board in all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Pakistan. This ‘Policy on Protection Against Sexual Harassment at Higher Education Institutes’ has been recently revised in July 2020. HEC is spearheading the awareness campaign and delivering training to all HEIs’ students, faculty and staff through its National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE). One such session was conducted online on Sep 09, 2021 in collaboration with UNDP’s Ms Yusra Khalid.

Since there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment at NUMS, the Provost QA and RD, Prof S.M. Raza through the Registrar had nominated five members from NUMS to attend the course. The session was interactive and Dr Erum Monis, AD QA/Member Inquiry Committee on Gender Harassment, Dr Muhammad Naeem, Assistant Professor NDBS, Dr Amjad Sohail, Dr Shazia Khalid and Ms Taskeen Manzoor, faculty NDSBS, NUMS participated fully in the discussion.

During the course, it was highlighted that in order to comply to Pakistani Law and HEC requirements, universities have to adopt the policy, establish a formal Harassment Complaint Cell, nominate an Inquiry Committee and designate two officers as Focal Persons to spread awareness and deliver trainings to its employees, faculty and students, redress grievances regarding workplace gender harassment and implementation of Anti-Sexual Harassment Legislation after approval from the competent authority.

Final hearing authority is the Ombudsperson (Federal/Provincial) or the case can be registered under Section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code as well. It was emphasized that to accomplish United Nations SDGs, women empowerment and hence human rights for all genders should be propagated. Recommendations were made to assist HEIs in implementing the policies in true letter and spirt by supporting the HEIs and strengthening the Anti-Gender Harassment Cells created in the universities and organizations.

For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Rawalpindi, September 16, 2021 (PPI-OT):NUMS, under its mandate to become umbrella body for accreditation of training programs for paramedics and allied health professionals, is in the process of attaining the status of Qualification Awarding Body (QAB) by National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) to award Level 1-5 certificates to paramedics, allied health professionals, relevant technical trades in RV and FC and ASC.

NUMS as QAB aims to provide consistent and credible competency based vocational and technical qualifications through its accredited training centers and assessment in the field of allied health sciences and technologies.

Technical/vocational education/skills will be viewed through the prism of need assessment/industry requirement at national and international horizon. This project aims to fill the market need for qualified/skilled healthcare workforce by equipping them with market driven skill sets and qualification of international standards.

NUMS will be the first NAVTTC accredited medical university to develop National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Standards for paramedics in the country. The mandate includes:

(1) Acquisition of status of QAB from NAVTTC for accreditation and certification of Technical and Vocational Trainings in AMC, RV and FC and selected courses in ASC.

(2) Provision of guidance and support for transformation of Military Training Regime of Ranks, in relevant trades, into National Professional Qualification and Certification System.

(3) Conduct/management of assessments for Allied Health Professionals in accredited training institutes and assessment centers.

In this regard, NUMS Allied Health Professionals Certification Program under the mandate of NUMS Skill Development (NSDP), conducted a five-day workshop for capacity building of military officers, from 30th August to 3rd September, on Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT and A) including development of competency standards, competency units, performance criteria, teaching resource and assessments (DACUM).

The facilitators of the workshop were NAVTTC-GIZ technical consultants, Mr Naeem Akhtar and Ms Atiqa Shahbaz. It was attended by 29 officers of different specialties from Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Supply Corps (ASC) and Remount Veterinary and Farms Corps (RV and FC). The introduction of CBT and A is an important element of the National Skills Strategy (NSS), which is the basis of the ongoing TVET sector reforms in Pakistan. It also provides the basis for the implementation of the National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF).

Under this paradigm shift, the CBT programs are designed and delivered by adopting a systematic approach, focusing on better employability of the trainees with strong market linkages. Through competency-based assessment, the trainees will be assessed after completing the program and awarded high quality national vocational certificates. Likewise, skills of the individuals from outside the formal system are also recognized through Recognition of Prior Learning/Recognition of Current Competencies (RPL/RCC).

The participants were given hands-on training in development of competency-based curriculum from level 1 to level 5 for Nursing Assistant, Nursing Technician, Lab Technician, OT Assistant (vascular surgery), Anaesthesia Technician, Endoscopy Technician and Radiology Technician. The lesson plan of different modules was presented by groups of participants. This workshop is part of a series of training sessions which will be conducted by NUMS Allied Health Professionals Certification Program for building a national pool of experts in CBT and A.

For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Rawalpindi, September 02, 2021 (PPI-OT):The NUMS Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences held a virtual open day on August 16th, 2021 to introduce its undergraduate degree program titled “BS-Social Science of Health”. It was a one hour session held via ZOOM in which current faculty and students along with prospective students were in attendance.

The Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Azam Chaudhary took the audience to a journey from the conceptualization of the curriculum to the launch of degree and first enrolment in February 2019 to the experience of having four batches currently.

He highlighted the importance of social sciences, especially in medical universities and advocated for a multidisciplinary lens for a holistic understanding of health. He highlighted the key social sciences disciplines and their unique approach to study health. Mentioning some of the selected courses from each discipline in the curriculum, he introduced the respective faculty members also along with their academic and research expertise.

In the second half of the session, the faculty and students shared their reflections about the experience with BS-Social Science of Health. The faculty discussed how during the pandemic, the importance of having the lens of social sciences to explore the behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of society, is renewed.

A student shared how initially they had little idea about the degree program but with each passing semester, they are gaining insight into the Pakistani healthcare system, the biomedical hegemony, the political economy of health and the gendered aspects of health access. The students shared their experience of field work and also as part of door to door survey data collection for primary healthcare needs assessment.

With a mix of quantitative and qualitative research skills, the students felt that these field visits gave them with a platform to apply the classroom theories into community. This will help them with conceptualizing research projects related to health.

The students also appreciated the numerous external guest speakers like health care professionals, religious scholars or social workers who shared their work and experience in the seminars. Some of the students who had already networked with social service sector or health organizations in designing and execution of projects related to health, shared how they also learnt management, leadership and effective communication along with having a command over the academic knowledge.

A student from NUMS Department of Public Health, who was joining online asked from the Dean, the difference between the two undergraduate degrees of public health and social science of health. Dean SSH briefly explained the broad nature of the BS-SSH curriculum that includes health economics, medical anthropology, biomedicine and geography of health along with a strong emphasis on field work research and community linkage.

A video depicting the campus life, diverse academic and extra-curricular activities, recreational trips and student testimonials was also shown during the session. This highlighted the past 2 years of the NUMS Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences. In the end, the audience was informed about the admission and registration process.

For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Rawalpindi, August 12, 2021 (PPI-OT):The NUMS Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities held its 12th session of “Samaaj Khayaal”- a fortnightly series, which aims to transcend disciplinary boundaries, find connections and bring to light issues of social relevance. The session titled “Post-9/11 Militancy in Pakistan: A Geopolitical Perspective” was held on August 4th, 2021 at NUMS PWD Campus.

Ms. Tabinda Siddiqui, who is currently pursuing her doctorate studies at National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University, and Islamabad was invited as the guest speaker to share her PhD research findings. With a degree in defense and strategic studies, her research interest spans the challenges related to extremism post 911 especially the role of media as a platform for discourse development; for concepts like terrorism.

The session started with a 30-minute presentation by the guest speaker. Ms. Tabina introduced the multidisciplinary audience to scholarly work by Edward Said, Karen Armstrong and Khuram Iqbal which also challenges the dominant discourse around ‘religious’ militancy. Showing examples from media, she highlighted how post 911 militancy and response is global in nature and how various labels like ‘fundamentalism’, ‘radicalization’ and ‘extremism’ have been attached to present the problem.

Citing the lack of a critical geopolitical analysis, lack of a historic account and a Pakistani perspective, the guest speaker highlighted the need to ask in her research question; “Were the dominant factors of post-9/11 militancy in Pakistan religious or geopolitical?” Her qualitative research employed interviews of religious scholars and critical analysis of declassified documents, documentaries and research reports for data collection.

Using discourse analysis, she went on to discuss that the dominant discourse of religious militancy and terrorism is specifically produced by intellectuals of statecraft, political commentators, think tanks, media, and by the terrorists themselves. Critically looking at the role of media, she discussed examples of how media through its capacity to popularize the debates and through its non-attention of counter or multiple arguments, constructs a discourse. She concluded by putting forth the premise that post 911 militancy is the result of regional and international geopolitics and is not an indigenous issue inspired by religion.

Following the presentation, the onsite and online audience asked the questions which were addressed by the guest speaker. Faculty members debated about national level policies and regional cooperation influencing the topic at hand. The students inquired about the research methodology and reflexivity issues. It was also discussed that the politicization of extremism and role of media in creating a popular discourse needs to be deconstructed and alternative indigenous narratives have to be brought to light.

Our religious scholars, politicians and other stakeholders need to address the popular image of the country in media. The guest speaker also shared future possible topics of research that explore the issue from a feminist lens or examines the religious doctrine in an in-depth study. At the end of the interactive session, the guest speaker was awarded the NUMS souvenir, followed by a group picture and an informal interaction over tea.

For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk