Sindh government and AKU collaborate to boost COVID-19 critical care

KARACHI: The Sindh government is set to collaborate with the Aga Khan University who will provide free-of-cost training and technical assistance on COVID-19 critical care to healthcare professionals working in the public sector.

Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Secretary Health Sindh, Zahid Abbasi, AKU Medical College Dean, Dr Adil Haider, and AKUH CEO, Shagufta Hassan, signed MoUs at the Sindh Secretariat, announcing a partnership that will see the University provide expert coverage to public sector intensive care units via telemedicine and capacity building services to physicians and nurses working in emergency medicine and critical care in the province of Sindh.

The COVID-19 disease continues to strain healthcare systems around the world, and specialists in intensive care are preparing for the many challenges related to treating patients with life-threatening complications. "We need allies like the AKU to help us tackle the burden of COVID-19," Dr Pechuho said. "Joining hands with experts in the field will help create a stronger health system that can provide the best quality care to our people in these difficult times.”

"We are delighted to partner with the Ministry of Health in extending our training and expertise in dealing with critically ill COVID-19 patients," said Dr Haider. "We have never seen a pandemic like this before, and by working together with our esteemed colleagues in government hospitals, we will hopefully save many lives and beat COVID-19.”

Besides capacity building, healthcare professionals will also benefit from the University’s teleconsultation services on critical care issues such as ventilator management of coronavirus patients. The AKU’s experts will help manage care with doctors in Sindh as well as offer advanced training for nurses on the treatment of critically ill patients and the safety of healthcare workers. These services will be staffed by the AKU’s specialists who have volunteered their expertise and time.

“Partnerships like these are extremely crucial at this hour. These trainings will help in enhancing the capacity of nurses, paramedics, and physicians in public sector hospitals of Sindh who are leading the fight against the COVID-19,” said Interim CEO, Shagufta Hassan. “We look forward to collaborating on this initiative with the Government of Sindh in saving lives across Pakistan.”

-MN Report