President asks medical varsities to undertake research with focus on diseases like COVID-19

Islamabad: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday asked the medical universities to undertake research while following international research standards to address the challenges of health sector, with special focus on diseases like COVID-19.

He emphasized that the universities were required to provide quality education and produce good quality students.

The president was chairing a meeting of the vice chancellors of medical universities here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr about the coronavirus.

The vice chancellors briefed the meeting about the healthcare initiatives taken by their respective medical institutions in view of the corona pandemic. They highlighted the measures taken by the medical universities, including arranging training courses for doctors and paramedics, developing technical and operational guidelines for the health workers, and establishing isolation wards.

It was told that the universities had established an information technology infrastructure to provide online education and continue other academic activities.

The president appreciated the important role being played by the health professionals and medical universities in the prevailing situation of COVID-19.
The meeting was attended by Professor Tanwir Khaliq, Vice Chancellor of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Imran Majeed, Vice Chancellor of National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Dr Asad Hafeez, Vice Chancellor of Health Services Academy, Islamabad, and Dr Anis Ahmed, Vice Chancellor and Lt Gen (Retd) Azhar Rashid, Dean of Riphah International University, Islamabad.