Pakistan, Sudan agree to cooperate in health sector
Aug 22, 2006 (ISLAMABAD) — Pakistan and Sudan on Tuesday signed an agreement to benefit from each other’s experience in the field of health care, medical training and in delivery of medical services.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two countries will start exchange of health experts in order to realize short- term education, training, improvement of professional skills and consultancy.
The two countries will also share information and experience in the fields of communicable disease surveillance, early preparedness and control and prevention of Malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases.
The government of Pakistan agreed to provide the services of general physicians, specialist physicians, public health specialists, nurses and paramedics to the government of Sudan.
The two countries will exchange experiences in the field of postgraduate studies. Pakistan will provide technical assistance to Sudan in establishing a Postgraduate Institute of Public Health in Sudan.
The two sides will exchange information, researches, experience and training in research methodology and use of evidence for policy development.
Under the agreement, Pakistan will offer Sudan training opportunities every year without any tuition fees in areas including nursing, specialized clinic medicine, public health disciplines and paramedical and laboratory training programs.
Similarly, same training opportunities will offer by the ministry of Health Sudan to the ministry of Health Pakistan.
Pakistani Federal Secretary of Health Ministry Syed Anwar Mahmood said that bilateral coordination in the areas of medical health and health care reflects the mutual interests and benefits of two countries.
He said the cooperation will further strengthen the existing relations of the two countries. He added the agreement was signed with respect to interest of both parties through mutual approval.
He said the two sides will exchange information on the availability of training facilities in the two countries specially on the opportunities for Pakistani medical and medical teaching professionals to assist their counterparts in Sudan.
For his part, Secretary-General of the Sudanese Ministry of Health Abdullah Sayed said Sudan desires to strengthen capabilities in public health through building research and training links with institutes of repute in Pakistan.
He said that his country would like to benefit from the experience of Pakistan in launching immunization and disease prevention programs.
He stressed the need to devise ways and means for further enhancing cooperation between the two countries in this regard.
The Sudanese delegation visited the National Institute of Handicapped where Dr. Jehanzeb Orakzai, Director of the Institute briefed the delegation regarding treatment to the handicapped patients. The Sudanese dignitary also visited various wards of the hospital.
During their stay in Pakistan, the Sudanese delegation would visit Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Health, Islamabad and Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplant (SIUT), College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan and the Aga Khan University in Karachi.
(ST/ Xinhua)