LAHORE– The University of Health Sciences (UHS), on Thursday, announced that it would provide free Android tables to deserving students of public sector medical and dental colleges for digital learning during Covid-19.
This was decided in a meeting held here at UHS with Vice Chancellor Prof Javed Akram in the chair. The other who were present included Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC), principal, Prof Arif Tajammul, Service Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), principal, Prof Mahmood Ayyaz, UHS registrar Dr Asad Zaheer, controller of examinations Dr Saqib Mehmood, and senior faculty.
Addressing on the occasion, UHS VC Prof Javed Akram said that coronavirus had turned from pandemic into an endemic which would stay for long time to come and people, therefore, should learn to live with it.
He said that around four months of medical students had already been wasted due to closure of their colleges. He urged that medical colleges should go for e-learning without wasting any more time.
“There are subjects which can be taught through online classes. For clinical training, we must have contingency plans”, he emphasized.
Prof Javed Akram further said that around twenty per cent students in public sector medical and dental colleges of the province belonged to the families with very humble economic background.
“For such students, the university will not only provide free android tablets but also arrange satellite internet connectivity in collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board”, he added.
Prof Javed Akram directed the heads and principals of public sector colleges to provide lists of their students who could not afford purchasing the tablets, especially those belonging to the families who were registered with the government for Ehsaas and Benazir Income Support Programme.
It was also decided in the meeting to constitute subject specialists’ committees under the supervision of Prof Mahmood Ayyaz to prepare online modules for various disciplines. The UHS VC designated SIMS as the nerve centre for that purpose.
