Undergraduate medical schools should respond to community health needs, health experts said on Tuesday.
The health experts were speaking at a seminar organised by the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Programme (MNCHP) in collaboration with the Technical Resource Facility.
The seminar aimed at institutionalisation of training on integrated management of neonatal and childhood illnesses (IMNCI) for undergraduate medical students.
University of Health Sciences Registrar Asad Zaheer and Humayun Maqsood, a member of the syndicate, said undergraduate schools should respond to community health needs in terms of building competencies.
Zahida Sarwar from the Health Department’s Policy Strategic Planning Unit said an enabling environment was key to successfully implement IMNCI.
MNCHP Adviser Najma Lalji briefed the speakers about TRF contributions to strengthening health systems.
Health Department Additional Director General Tanveer Ahmad said a pre-service IMNCI training situation analysis had been conducted in consultation with the stakeholders.
Dr Chakar from Balochistan said outreach workers should be trained in IMNCI in order to improve service coverage.
Riffat Nisar briefed the participants about training in 10 medical colleges working with the MNCHP. Several medical colleges were introducing innovative approaches for undertaking the training, she said.
“The MNCHP is mandated to improve maternal and child health services to address MDGs 4 (reducing child mortality) and 5 (improving maternal health). A large number of initiatives have been taken, including capacity building of healthcare providers through a two-pronged approach,” she said.
“The IMNCI is an example of training both serving as well as future healthcare workers. The pre-service training approach costs less and prepares future service providers according to the needs of the country.”
She said the training had been conducted at selective public and private medical colleges in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the TRF.
Students shared their experiences, issues and challenges related to the implementation of pre-IMNCI training.
The participants discussed the issues of trained staff turnover, sustainability and continuity of related training programmes.
They said that scaling the initiative would require the Health Department’s sustained support to medical colleges, the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Programme and development partners through coordinated approaches.
Such linkages would have beneficial effects for both health programmes and academia, they said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2014.