A two-member delegation from the National Ambulance Service College (NASC) Dublin, Ireland, has commenced a three-day visit to the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore, to evaluate quality assurance measures in an ongoing healthcare training initiative. The delegation comprises Mr Robert Morton, Director of the National Ambulance Service, and Dr Shane Knox, Director of Paramedicine at NASC. Their mission focuses on assessing the progress of a project aimed at training 45,000 healthcare professionals across Punjab in essential life-saving skills.

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On their first day, the UHS Vice Chancellor, Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore, welcomed the Irish delegates and provided an overview of the project, managed through UHS’s Professional Skill Development Centre (PSDC) and the Institute for Learning Emergency Medicine (ILEM). The project, which has been operational for over a decade, seeks to enhance the emergency medical competencies of healthcare workers, thereby improving healthcare delivery in both pre-hospital and hospital settings.

Professor Sarah Ghafoor, Director of Special Initiatives at UHS, shared the program’s history and scope. She highlighted that UHS’s collaboration with NASC began in 2010 and was renewed in April 2024, reinforcing a decade-long partnership. Between 2017 and 2021, over 30,000 healthcare workers were trained across 40 centers under the Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS) of the Punjab Healthcare Commission.

Since 2022, the program has expanded its reach to cover 85 Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals, with a target of training 45,000 healthcare professionals. So far, more than 22,000 doctors, nurses, and paramedics have received training under Phase II. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department identified eight priority areas for this phase, with instruction delivered by both Irish and local experts, supported by 35 UHS-certified trainers.

Professor Ghafoor announced that for 2024-25, UHS will introduce new courses, including Advanced Life Support Cardiac, Health Informatics, and Emergency Triage Assessment. Future plans also include the establishment of a national training center, the creation of examination centers for international and national certifications, and the development of MPhil and PhD programs in emergency care. Additionally, UHS intends to incorporate advanced simulation techniques and extend its training programs to District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals.

The Irish delegation praised UHS for its structured and well-organized approach. “The organization and feedback processes are extraordinary,” remarked Mr Morton, adding, “This is a focused program that can serve as a model for other regions striving to elevate healthcare standards.”

The meeting was attended by UHS Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Nadia Naseem, local NASC faculty members and quality assurance coordinators Dr Saeed Elahi and Professor Farooq Butt, along with members of the UHS administrative team.

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