KARACHI:Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) to establish a Central Simulation Center so that the rest of the public sector medical universities can develop their profession to learn through virtual reality.
This he said on Friday while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Asif Rehman Simulation Center at Dow University of Health Sciences, said a communique.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechuho, VC DUHS Prof Saeed Qureshi, Pro V.C. Prof. Zarnaz Wahid, Faculty members, Principal D.D.C Arshad Hassan, Dow class of 1990 -Dr Asim Hashmi, Dr Faryal and others.
He said that his government was heavily investing in the health sector. Since Dow University has established a state of the art “Simulation Centre” with the assistance of Dow Class-1990 that would enable health professionals, particularly the novice, to learn more efficiently and through mistakes without the fear of harming the patient.
“I want a Central Simulation Centre should be established at Dow university and its satellite centers be established in all the government medical universities and colleges so that students in other universities and colleges can learn through virtual reality,” he said adding that his government was ready to invest for the purpose.
It may be that Simulation-based medical education is defined as any educational activity that utilizes simulation to replicate clinical scenarios and its tools serve as an alternative to real patients.
The CM said that healthcare simulations could be said to have four main purposes – education, assessment, research, and health system integration in facilitating patient safety. He urged all universities to give special attention to research areas.
Mr Shah said that the healthcare professionals needed to be adequately educated and trained to provide competent and efficient care. “Skills learning is an integral part of the training of health professionals,” he said adding that the new DUHS, Asif Rehman Simulation Center was well equipped to deal with different disciplines like OBGYN, (even male students can learn to deal and practice Obstetric complications) Medicines, Pediatric, Cardiology, and a mock Anatomy Dissection Lab with the aim to facilitate learning through immersion, reflection, feedback, and practice, minus the risks inherent in a similar real-life experience.
Earlier, the Chief Minister just after unveiling the plaque to inaugurate the center visited different wards and witnessed the demonstration of a simulation process performed in different wards. Sindh Minister for Health Dr. Azra Pechuho, VC Dow University Saeed Qureshi and others also spoke on the occasion.
The Centre has been established at a cost of Rs230 million, of which Rs30 million have been constituted by the Dow Class 1990.