• Home

Health, education need an integrated approach

DUBAI — An integrated approach to health, education and poverty alleviation can help resolve health and education problems in developed and underdeveloped countries, said Dr Faridudeen Baqai, Surgeon and Chancellor of Baqai University in Karachi, Pakistan.

Speaking to Khaleej Times during a recent visit here, Dr Baqai, expanded on the programme devised by him. “If the health and education programme, which has begun in Pakistan, is adopted fully, we will not have an uneducated child or lacking health facilities,” he said, adding that the programme was also applicable in countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

As per the programme, primary, mid-level and higher education including medical, post-graduation, PhDs and fellowships and in continuity various programmes for healthcare, technicians, nursing, paramedics should be combined with healthcare delivery, said Dr Baqai.

Explaining the mission of the Baqai Foundation, he said, “If we create one centre for 100,000 Pakistanis and if we build 600 centres in the next 15 years, we will not have a single uneducated or ill child in the country.”

He also said that Baqai Foundation has been heading this programme and has already established five centres in Sindh province. “The foundation plans to set up 20 centres in Punjab, 10 in Sindh, seven in the NWFP and three in Balochistan province,” he said, adding that the programme was gaining momentum and the government was also taking interest.

Talking about the recently-held Arab Health Conference where Dr Baqai represented the Baqai University he said, “Arab Health is an approach in itself as it provides a platform to health personnel.” He also said that the conference also provided health solutions and allowed international manufacturers to exhibit equipment and goods to the UAE and other Gulf countries.