First batch of trainees in emergency medicine awarded certificates

Rawalpindi : The first batch of trainees at Rawalpindi Medical University who have completed one year certificate course in specialty of emergency med­icine, Emergency Medicine Foundation Programme (EM­FP) by Royal College of Emergency Medicine have been awarded certificates by President RCEM UK Dr. Adrian Boyle.

RMU held the certificates awarding ceremony in the main campus of RMU that was presided over by President RCEM UK, Vice Chancellor RMU Professor Dr. Muhammad Umar S.I., and Dr. Ayaz Abbasi from UK.

RMU is the first University in Pakistan that started this programme in 2020. Till now around 30 young doctors have completed this diploma programme. RCEM started Emergency Training Programme in UK as a separate speciality and established new Royal College for this speciality like the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow.

Vice Chancellor at RMU Professor Dr. Muhammad Umar informed ‘The News’ that EMFP, a certificate course in specialty of emergency medicine was launched by RCEM, UK in collaboration with RMU. This programme is providing an opportunity for capacity building of young doctors regarding management of patients presenting in emergency department of hospitals. He added that there are only few centres in Pakistan where this programme is being run. Most of the patients in hospitals in Pakistan are brought in the emergency department. Some two year back, the Punjab Government started Emergency Strengthening Programme but no trained human resource was available. With the efforts of Dr. Ayaz Abbasi, who is working as Director Emergency in a big hospital in UK, President RCEM visited Pakistan to establish a collaborative programme between RMU and UK. Finally the first Diploma Course in Emergency Medicine was started in RMU in 2020. Now RMU is running the 2nd Batch of this Course, said Professor Umar.

To date, the RMU has provided training to over 35 doctors in the joint programme of RCEM between UK and RMU, he said.

At the certificate distribution ceremony, President RCEM Adrian Boyle said the Emergency Medicine Foundation Programme is one of the best training programmes in emergency medicine in Pakistan. Professor Jahangir Sarwar Khan, Principal Rawalpindi Medical College and Dr. Usman Qureshi are the in-charges of this programme in RMU. President RCEM. Recently SZABMU in PIMS Hospital Islamabad has also started this programme, said Professor Umar.

He requested the President RCEM to establish the examination centre for this course in RMU as it would be much beneficial for doctors of Pakistan.