KARACHI, Aug 31: E-Education Programme would become an integral component of Dow University of Health Sciences in the next three months along with a full-fledged digital library.

This was stated by DUHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Masood Hameed Khan while addressing the inaugural session of a seminar organized by the Health Times Academy, an NGO of Sindh-based senior medical professionals, in collaboration with DUHS at Arag Auditorium on Wednesday.

He announced that the E-Education Programme would be simultaneously complimented by the digital library project at the university enhancing direct accessibility of students and faculty members associated with the Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College and Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases to all online journals and archives.

For the very purpose, 100 work stations are being made available at Dow Medical College, 70 at SMC besides a sizable number at Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, he said.

Appreciative of the initiative undertaken by Health Times Academy, the vice-chancellor said that it was extremely appropriate and contributory to further strengthening the ongoing Continuing Medical Education Programme at DUHS.

Prof Masood Hameed reminded that the university fully conscious of the importance to update the knowledge of family physicians and young medical graduates had already chalked out education-cum-training programmes particularly focussed on the commonest diseases inflicting local population.

“DUHS has already chalked out a programme comprising a series of 24 lectures for local general medical practitioners and family physicians,” he said adding that Dow varsity is also in process to incorporate a mandatory education-cum-training programme in 20 diseases, most pertinent to Pakistan, for its final year students about to start with their house jobs.

Prof Abdul Ghaffar Billoo appreciated the Health Times Academy for its selection of topics ranging from diabetes to enteric fever which were registered to be fast growing in Pakistan.

Prof Ali Ansari observed that proper guidance and provision for updating knowledge among family physicians was largely lacking. He stressed that the gap between family physicians and specialists be bridged as in any society they ought to be complimentary to each other.

Health Times Academy President Prof Zaman Sheikh, in his welcome address, said that the academy functioning for the last five years had embarked upon a series of continuing medical education programme for family physicians scattered across the province.

First of the series of programmes, he said, was held in Mirpurkhas on Aug 27 and the last programme in Sukkur on Sept 3. —APP