Events
Injection Safety Task Force (ISTF):
The Department of Family Medicine UHS is an integral part of ISTF established under the chairmanship of Special Assistant to Prime Minister and contributes to control of HIV, Hepatitis B and C and other blood borne infections through safe injections and use of auto destructible (AD) syringes. Department is planning to launch an online training module on injection safety for medical universities and colleges.
Contribution at Community Level:
Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Sessions:
The department has been involved in awareness campaigns in universities and corporate organizations for breast cancer awareness month. The faculty members practically go to different sites with their dedicated team which includes breast cancer survivor, general/breast surgeon & plastic/reconstruction surgeon and addresses groups of women and men. Department has also organized seminars of breast cancer at College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan regional office (Lahore) and Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) in addition to seminars at UHS. This year�s seminar is due to be held on 29th Oct at Fatima Memorial Hospital.
COVID-19 Related Services:
Department of Family Medicine actively participated in fight against COVID-19 with all other departments of UHS. Some of COVID-19 related activities are
Telemedicine Service:
The faculty members, master trainers and senior family physicians of Lahore actively participated in providing free consultations to people during lock down and beyond. They provided care to both COVID related and other medical problems round the clock for three months. Service included both telephonic service and video based consultations.
Training and Supervision of Junior Doctors Working on Telemedicine Frontline:
The Telemedicine team of UHS consisted of medical graduates, dental graduates and medical and dental students who volunteered for this national service. Department of Family Medicine and Family Medicine Shift Supervisors actively participated in their training and also round the clock supervision. In addition teaching on common medical and surgical conditions was done throughout these telemedicine sessions.
Online COVID-19 Course:
This was an online LMS based training course on COVID-19 which was launched on March 21st 2020 and concluded on June 21st 2020. More than forty three thousand doctors and allied health professional attended this course with excellent feedback about its construct and contents. The course was designed on WHO guidelines, guidelines from Command and Control Center for Corona and frequently asked questions posed by patients at the telemedicine service. Participants were from different medical universities and colleges of Pakistan and also overseas.
Seminar on Screening, Diagnosis and Management of COVID-19:
Department of Family Medicine organized a one day seminar of Corona on March 19th, 2020 at UHS in collaboration with Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine. The seminar was attended by internists and family physicians who were supposed to be the frontline workers against corona.
Awareness Shows in National Electronic Media
Faculty of Family Medicine and Master Trainers participated in electronic media live callers shows to address questions by patients and also spread awareness about COVID19.
Contribution at Global Level:
Department of Family Medicine UHS is a member of WHO EMRO region group on Family Medicine and participates in development of Family Medicine in regional level. The faculty members have visited Cairo Egypt twice to contribute to Family Medicine Diploma of WHO. The Diploma in Family Medicine of UHS has been aligned with the Diploma in Family Medicine by WHO and is awaiting approval from PMDC.
The Department of Family Medicine UHS is the focal point for the newly established Family Medicine rotation program by collaboration of APPNA (USA), APPNE (Europe) and AAPP (Australia). These rotations are online CME sessions covering different diseases. Overseas faculty and national faculty are facilitating these sessions in addition to subject experts.
WONCA: The Department of Family Medicine UHS actively supported the WONCA South Asia conference in November 2019 in Lahore established linkages with family physicians from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. After that doctors from these four countries participated in COVID-19 related webinars during Pandemic. The department looks forward to participating in online teaching session after the pandemic is over. The department also extends full support to the newly elected president of WONCA South Asia Dr. Tariq Aziz who is also a member of UHS Family Medicine Steering Committee.
Contribution at Government Level:
The faculty of family Medicine has been actively engaged with federal and provincial health departments for capacity building of doctors and allied health professional in primary health care system. The department participated in Gujranwala District Referral system project in which the BHU, GP clinics are linked electronically with THQ and DHQ and 1122 ambulance service to establish a viable referral system. The referral system was monitored through dashboard maintained at UHS.
The Department of Family Medicine prepared and presented 15 years road map for capacity building of doctors working in Primary Health care and integration of vertical programs on a common user interface. In this regard UHS Family Medicine department also hosted visit of high level delegation from University of Isphahan Iran. Health department Punjab and UHS believe in collaboration between medical academia and service delivery to improve the quality and scope of Primary health Care in Punjab.
