LAHORE: The Punjab government has upgraded the Institute of Child Health (ICH), Lahore, to University of Child Health Sciences, the first one in public sector all over the country.

Located in the heart of the city, the 1,100-bed facility has been upgraded under the University of Child Health Sciences Lahore Act, 2021 two months after the Punjab Assembly passed a bill, giving a go-ahead to expand the scope of healthcare for the children visiting there from all over the country.

The Punjab Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department (SH&MED) issued a notification to the effect here on Tuesday.

SH&MED Secretary Muhammad Aamir Jan said the institute has been upgraded to status of university under which the Children’s Hospital, Lahore, will act as a constituent [hospital].

Assets, liabilities of Children’s Hospital stand transferred to paed varsity

He said the colleges, including College of Paediatrics, College of Paediatric Nursing and College of Allied Health Sciences will perform their functions under the university.

“This is a landmark project of the Punjab government which will act as first degree-awarding institute in child health in Pakistan,” Mr Jan said.

Under the act, the entire properties - movable and immovable - rights and interests possessed and owned by the Children’s Hospital or Institute of Child Health and all liabilities against the institution shall stand transferred to the university.

Institute of Child Health Dean and Professor of Paediatric Cardiology Dr Masood Sadiq, who was behind the move for the upgradation of the institute, declared it a remarkable decision of the Punjab government.

He also declared the paediatrics university a unique project in a sense that it would be housing too many institutes.

“It is the first public sector largest paediatric university of the country which would produce highly qualified and trained human resource to address shortage of doctors, nurses and paramedics,” Prof Masood said.

Sharing salient feature of the initiative, he said the constituent college would conduct postgraduation in many sub- and- super specialties that would help the country compete with the international faculty.

“Now we would be able to conduct postgraduation in 36 clinical and 12 diagnostic specialties,” the ICH dean said.“Under the University of Child Health Sciences Lahore Act, 2021, we have also proposed five other institutions including research and genetics institute,” he said.

About the faculty position, Prof Sadiq said presently the number of senior faculty members for the treatment of children has reached 100 besides 57 highly trained senior registrars.

“We are also lucky to have 20 internationally trained faculty members with the affiliated health institutions,” Prof Sadiq said.

To a question about space to accommodate too many facilities, he said ICH owned additional 181 kanal land adjacent to its building where new departments would be established.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2021