LAHORE: The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), UK, with the University of Health Sciences (UHS), and the Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine, has launched the Women Leadership in Healthcare Programme to bring women doctors and health workers in Pakistan to leadership positions in their institutions and organizations.

A ceremony was organised here at the UHS on Sunday.

The programme will provide training certification courses for women doctors and workers to advance their careers and help gain key positions in institutions, according to a press release.

Dr Nausheen Hamid said that to bring women to leadership positions, they need mentoring and training in the necessary skills. She said a National Gender Policy was being unveiled on March 8 to eradicate gender discrimination in the country. RCP International Vice President Dr Mumtaz Patel via video link said that a pilot programme had been launched to bring women to leadership positions in the health sector.

“Women represent more than 70% of the global healthcare workforce, however, less than 5% are senior healthcare leaders in low-and middle-income countries, less than 25% are senior healthcare leaders in high-income countries, and less than 15% are senior academics,” she maintained.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2022