Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy (HSA), announced that the National University of Public Health Sciences (NUPHS) is being established in Pakistan. He disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune.
Dr. Shahzad claims that HSA is Pakistan’s first institute to give Ph.D. and master’s in public health (MPH) degrees in six distinct areas. When the college was founded, there were just 23 students. The number has since grown to 750.
Dr. Shahzad claimed that the PC-1 for the HSA building’s construction has been granted and a seven-story structure will be built on seven acres of land.
The development of the facility is set to begin this year. Dr. Shahzad went on to say that the HSA intends to construct institutions for all disciplines, similar to the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the HSA operated on the front lines with the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). According to Dr. Shahzad, HSA is the sole institution in the country with 28 Ph.D.s on its staff. He continued by saying that the HSA was essential in the development of the Public Health Department.
The HSA is supported by a variety of sources, including tuition fees, donations, and funds from USAID and HEC. The HSA provides Ph.D., Master’s, and BSc. programs, catering to both medical and non-medical students.
Dr. Shahzad lauded the NCOC for its role in halting the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. He did, however, underline the importance of increased collaboration in order to eradicate polio, hepatitis, cancer, dengue, and other fatal diseases in Pakistan.
