KARACHI: In a move to ensure quality healthcare by enhancing human reso­urce development and contribution to evidence-based policies, efficient, effective and sustainable practices, President Dr Arif Alvi has approved the expansion of Health Services Academy (HSA) with the establishment of five more departments at the varsity, a top official said on Sunday.

“Under the chairmanship of President Arif Alvi, the HSA Senate has approved the establishment of five more departments at the varsity, including Health Economics, Digital Health, Public Health Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine, Environ­mental Health and Climate Change and Health Policy Planning and Management,” said HSA Vice Chancellor Dr Shahzad Ali Khan while speaking at the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding signed between the HSA and Insti­tute of Leadership Exce­llence (ILE) in Islamabad.

According to a statement issued here, Dr Khan said an office of Research Inno­vation and Commer­ciali­sation and Quality Enha­ncement Cell had already been established at the HSA following approval from the Academic Council and the Syndicate of the varsity.

He maintained that in order to run these departments, they need trained and qualified faculty and for that they are not only hiring experts from abroad but also signing MoUs with the institutes like ILE to train their own faculty to enhance collaboration and minimise bottlenecks and challenges.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2021