Department of Community Medicine

DR. GHULAM MUSTAFA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR & HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

The Institution: Sheikh Zayed Medical College / Hospital:

Sheikh Zayed Medical College was a very much needed and highly desirous not only to the Rahim Yar Khan and Rajan Pur Districts, but also adjoining areas of the Sindh and Baluchistan Provinces. Sheikh Zayed Medical College was established in the building of Sheikh Zayed Hospital which is now shifted in new building. This Hospital was started as civil Hospital in the Municipal Committee building in 1928 with 50 beds strength. The quality of health care in all aspects and number of beds were increased in different phases to a 954 beds hospital at present, with a state of the art emergency department. This number will increase further soon.

Sheikh Zayed Medical College has been established to become a role model for medical education and patient care. With this aim, the first batch for MBBS students of this college started its academic session in Quaid-e- Azam Medical College, Bahawal Pur in year 2003. Later Sheikh Zayed Medical College campus started functioning and 1^st year MBBS class was started here. Afterward, there is continuous admissions on yearly basis by the university of Health Sciences, Lahore. Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan was recognized by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in July, 2006.

Recognition with PMC (Formerly PM&DC) and CPSP:

Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan was recognized by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in July, 2006. Department of Community Medicine, Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan was accrediated by College of Physicians and Surgeons Karachi on January 20^th, 2009 on its first visit for Post-Graduations like MCPS and FCPS Community Medicine. Uptill now seven candidates for FCPS-II have been registered. There are 8 candidates who have completed MCPS (Community Medicine) training. Two candidates have passed FCPS and two MCPS Community Medicine. Two candidates are now under training.

The Department- Community Medicine:

The objectives of the Department are in line with the mission of the Institute as we intend to produce the healthcare professionals of high standards, who have necessary skills, competencies and attitude to deal with the health problems at individual, group, national and global levels. We prepare the students to demonstrate professionalism, and have leadership role in healthcare. Using practical and community based training, students of community medicine begins to develop necessary skills for becoming a successful public health practitioners and apply knowledge and skills learnt from core content areas of public health (Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Health System, Health Management information and Social & Behavioral Sciences) to design, manage and evaluate solutions to public health problems. The ultimate goal of this effort is to apply the theories, principles, knowledge and skills of public health in health promotion to bring a change in Health Status of the country in the positive direction to lead productive life.

The Department of Community Medicine has been established in a newly built beautiful building. It consists of eight offices, a Museum, a Seminar Room, a Laboratory, Health Education Office and IT resource center, Store and toilet enclosures. This is a nice looking Department with wide corridors and spacious offices. All offices, Museum and Lecture Hall are air conditioned.

The basic aim of teaching Community Medicine is to produce community oriented doctors who will be able and willing to work and serve their communities and deal effectively with their health related problems. Community Medicine is a system of delivery of comprehensive health care to the people by a health team in order to improve the health of the community. It is an art and science of application of technical knowledge and skills to the delivery of health care to a given community designed in collaboration with related professions as well as human and social sciences on one hand and community on the other. The aim is to reduce unnecessary morbidity and premature mortality in the whole population by improving the health status of the community and quality of life. Medical education is currently undergoing a process of transformation all over the world.

Community Oriented Medical Education (COME), a concept in medical education, which is labeled as a relevant medical education which takes into consideration in all aspects of operations like the health problems of the country. Its aim is to produce community oriented doctors who are able and willing to serve their communities and deal effectively and efficiently with health problems at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Medical teaching & learning includes the teaching outside the hospital and in the community. This process of learning is through tasks, assignments to students outside the teaching hospital alongwith undertaking or resolving problems in the community. Problem based learning and teaching is done by a group of students in small tutorial settings to undertake self-learning and research activities. Problem solving is a critical part of learning & leadership.

There is a growing realization that preventive health technology has a greater role for a healthy life style. In order to meet all these requirements, we are trying over best to prepare a future seven-star doctor who will focus and concern largely with improving health status of the community. The curriculum guidelines set by PMC and UHS is fully and carefully followed and implemented.

The inculcation of research and evidence based thinking of the students, is the core during undergraduate and postgraduate teaching methodology at the department. Students in the Community Medicine are expected to pay particular attention to design the features of the study, appropriate data collection, statistical analysis and interpretation. The students are required to conduct research projects and household surveys for this purpose.

Department of Community Medicine played a pivotal and leading role in establishing nationally and internationally indexed, Journal of Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan. The department has helped the institute to establish its Institutional Review Board, with vision to promote and oversight research activities. Research and Development Support Unit was also established to support individual researchers at the institute.

Health education section of this department imparts health education with vision to promote health of the community by creating awareness regarding common health problems prevalent in our population. Health education staff conducts seminars, awareness sessions not only to the patients and attendants at the institute but in the schools and community. The related officials regularly visit different wards and spend some time with patients and do counselling about their illness, and compliance to medical management advised.

In addition to MBBS and postgraduate medical education, which is the core function, the Department is delivering lectures and conducting practical’s to DPT & B.Sc. (MLT, MIT & OTT) classes regularly. The results are almost 100% most of the times. B.Sc. technology students conduct research as an essential part of their curriculum of UHS. The Department supports them to make synopsis and permission from IRB & complete research work after consultation with their respective supervisors.

Knowledge Creation, Publishing, and Health Education Activities:

Department of Community Medicine, envisions to create an environment of critical thinking and reasoning, which in turn supports knowledge generation and publishing which helps in knowledge evolution, for greater good of the life. These functions are carried out by a broad range of activities, which include the following steps:

Journal of Sheikh Zayed Medical College (JSZMC):
- The Department of Community Medicine has played a key role in establishing and running nationally and internationally indexed medical journal. One of our Assistant Professor is the Joint Editor of Journal of Sheikh Zayed Medical College.
Coordination with Research & Development Support Unit:
- Department of Community Medicine is in close coordination with Research and Development (R&D) Support Unit, for selection of topic (title) for researches and statistical analysis for students and faculty members of different departments of Sheikh Zayed Medical College & Hospital and execution of research projects. Department of Community Medicine also teaches Research, Biostatistics Epidemiology and result writing to postgraduate students (MS/MD/ FCPS / MCPS) of other departments. This is carried out through workshops, Classes and individual contact session. Presentation skills are a fundamental component of research. The distinguished work of these activities is acknowledged nationally and internationally.
Institutional Review Board:
- Department of Community Medicine, envisions to enhance research quality by ensuring implementation of ethical principals in research and effective oversight, so Institutional Review Board was established in 2010, by involving other departments as well.
Medical Counselling:
- Medical Counselling is an important function of a healthcare provision. It is foundation of preventive health care as well. The guiding and motivating patients and clients is very important to change and modify attitudes and behaviours of the individuals, families and ultimately the communities to adopt and practice those measures and habits that have a beneficial impact on health of the individuals and the patients. It is a two-way process of exchanging or shaping idea, feelings with information. Department of Community Medicine, is providing medical counseling to patients, families and students at the schools for increasing knowledge regarding common diseases thus influencing to attitude and preventive behaviours in community.

Building / structure of the Department of Community Medicine:

Offices:
There are eight offices with a wide and airy corridor, and a beautiful impressive entrance. The offices are allocated as, one for Professor, one for Associate Professor, three for Assistant Professors, two for Demonstrators, one seminar room and one for P.A/ Stenographer and one for Support Staff. The corridors have been decorated with beautiful charts and informative materials for academic purposes. The establishment of Laboratory is under process and will start functioning in near future.
Museum:
The air-conditioned Museum has a seating capacity for about 50 students where students come in batches and have their practical classes, demonstrations and tutorials. Museum has different models and charts for academic as well as practical purposes, which cover different aspects of subject of Community Medicine. This includes models of different vectors like Mosquitoes, House fly, Sand fly, Louse, Flea and Ticks. Different types of food articles, various types of vaccines for immunizations, different contraceptive applications like pills, injections and intrauterine devices (IUCDs) are present in the museum. Insecticides, carcinogens, various safety measures for different occupations, water filters for safe drinking water have been kept for practical knowledge. Literatures / educational materials on different public health problems and burning issues are present to make this museum very informative, guiding and beneficial. Different departmental activities like research projects, activities during free health camps and field visits for the study purposes have been displayed in the museum.
Lecture hall:
There is an air-conditioned Lecture Hall for 4^th year MBBS Class with the capacity of more than 200 students. All latest lecture delivering facilities like multimedia and overhead projector are available along with a very good sound system. The lectures are delivered regularly with the help of audiovisual aids.
Departmental Library:
A Departmental Library comprising of a number of text books of Community Medicine, medicine, biostatistics, epidemiology and related topics and medical Journals of different types have been maintained in the department for ready reference for teaching staff. This augments the reference and knowledge availability provided by the central Library, which serves the needs of the students. Additionally, Digital library is also available in the Department of Community Medicine. Computers and High Speed Internet facility are present. Printer and scanner are also available in this digital library. Students and teachers are consulting digital library for teaching and research purposes and also for updating their information and prepare their lectures.

Achievements:

Up till now every year the result of Community Medicine in 3^rd Professional MBBS exams remained almost 100%. Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan secured position in 3^rd Prof. MBBS Examination in the University of Health Sciences, Lahore in session 2008-09. Regarding postgraduation: