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KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2020 ) :The Sindh government and Aga Khan University (AKU) have entered into a partnership under which the AKU 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 here on Friday, a statement said.

They announced that the partnership that would see the University will 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 with treating patients with life-threatening complications. "We need allies like AKU to help us tackle the burden of COVID-19," Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said. "Joining hands with experts in the field will help create a stronger health system that is able to provide the best quality care to our people in these difficult times, she said.

"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 In sha Allah save many lives and beat COVID-19, Dr. Adil Haider said." Besides capacity building, healthcare professionals will also benefit from the University's tele-consultation services on critical care issues such as ventilator management of coronavirus patients.

The AKU experts will help manage care with doctors in Sindh as well as offer advanced training for nurses on treatment of critically ill patients and safety of healthcare workers. These services will be staffed by AKU 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 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."