The Punjab Health Department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aga Khan University to strengthen nursing education, faculty development, research and healthcare workforce capacity in the province.
Punjab, Aga Khan University sign MoU to strengthen nursing education
LAHORE, Aug 19 (APP): The Punjab Health Department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aga Khan University to strengthen nursing education, faculty development, research and healthcare workforce capacity in the province.
The MoU was signed under the Punjab Nursing and Health Workforce Reform Program (PNHWRP) at a ceremony held at the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education on Wednesday. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and Secretary Health Punjab Azmat Mahmood attended the ceremony.
Representatives of the PNHWRP and Aga Khan University exchanged the MoU. The Aga Khan University delegation included Dean of the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery Associate Dean Dr Laila, Senior Manager Abid Ali and Manager Sania Bardanwala. Project Director Program Implementation Unit Tariq Mahmood Rahmani, Additional Secretary Ameera Bedar, DG Nursing and other officers were also present.
Khawaja Salman Rafique described the agreement as an important milestone in the Punjab government’s efforts to improve nursing education and promote higher education in the health sector. He said the nursing sector was the backbone of the healthcare system and the provincial government was taking fundamental steps to improve its quality and address the shortage of nurses.
He said thousands of nurses had recently been recruited by the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, while refresher courses were being conducted according to modern requirements. He added that nurses were performing excellent duties in government hospitals.
The minister said the Punjab government was upgrading nursing education in line with World Health Organization standards and had revised the nursing curriculum according to international standards. Measures were also being taken for the recruitment of nursing educators, expansion of the scope of nurse practitioners, and provision of scholarships and incentives to students from remote areas.
He said the agreement with Aga Khan University was the first institutional partnership under the PNHWRP and would contribute to improving the quality and competence of nursing education and the health workforce in Punjab.
The collaboration will focus on postgraduate education and scholarships, research and knowledge exchange, digital and simulation-based learning, and academic and institutional strengthening. It will also help develop a strong pool of qualified nursing faculty and academic leaders and improve the quality and continuity of nursing education across Punjab.
The PNHWRP is a five-year program initiated by the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, Government of Punjab, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). A key component of the program is standardization of faculty qualifications, including 15 PhD scholarships, 270 MScN scholarships and 150 international training opportunities for nursing faculty.
Azmat Mahmood welcomed the partnership and emphasized the importance of aligning nursing education with research and emerging healthcare workforce needs.
Program Director Tariq Mahmood briefed participants on the broader reform agenda of the PNHWRP and its efforts to establish partnerships with leading national and international academic institutions. He said MoUs with several other universities were at the final stages, while engagements were also continuing with universities in Pakistan and abroad.
Khawaja Salman Rafique said the program would enter into further agreements with national and international universities in the near future to bring further improvements to the nursing sector.
