CPSP, AJK Govt Sign MoU to Establish Postgraduate Medical Training Centres in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur

Syed Naveed Hussain

ISLAMABAD: The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish regional centres in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, bringing postgraduate medical education, professional training and examination facilities closer to doctors in the region, particularly those serving remote and mountainous areas.

Under the agreement, the AJK government will provide land for the establishment of both centres, while the CPSP will bear the construction costs of the buildings. The MoU signing ceremony was held at the CPSP Regional Centre in Islamabad and was attended by AJK Health Minister Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, CPSP President Professor Dr Muhammad Shoaib Shafi, and other senior government officials and representatives of the institution.

The initiative aims to improve access to postgraduate medical education and professional training in Azad Jammu and Kashmir by bringing modern educational facilities closer to doctors working in the region.

With the establishment of the new centres, doctors will be able to access facilities for postgraduate medical examinations, training workshops, seminars and other academic activities locally, reducing the need to travel to Islamabad or Lahore for examinations and professional training.

According to the agreement, the centres will benefit not only doctors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir but also medical professionals from adjoining areas. Doctors serving in remote and mountainous regions are expected to benefit particularly from improved access to advanced medical education and training.

The initiative is part of the vision of CPSP President Professor Dr Muhammad Shoaib Shafi and Senior Vice President Professor Dr Khalid Masood Gondal to expand postgraduate medical education and training facilities across different parts of the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, AJK Health Minister Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi described the collaboration as an important step towards strengthening the healthcare sector in the region and expanding opportunities for advanced medical education. He said cooperation with the CPSP would help improve access to medical education and professional training facilities for doctors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

CPSP President Professor Dr Muhammad Shoaib Shafi said the institution was committed to extending medical education and training facilities to different parts of the country. He described the establishment of the Muzaffarabad and Mirpur regional centres as a significant step towards providing quality postgraduate medical education and training closer to doctors' workplaces.

He added that the initiative would help enhance doctors' professional capabilities and contribute to improving the standard of healthcare services.

The AJK government was represented at the ceremony by the health minister, the health secretary and the director general of health.

Representatives of the CPSP included President Professor Dr Muhammad Shoaib Shafi; Councillor and Regional Director Abbottabad Professor Jahangir Khan; Councillor and Regional Director Rawalpindi Professor Major General Wasim Ahmed Khan Niazi; Councillor Major General Fawad Ahmed Siddiqui; Regional Director Muzaffarabad Professor Ziaad Afzal Kiyani; and Legal Adviser Dr Iftikhar Shah.

The establishment of the two regional centres is expected to strengthen medical education infrastructure in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and facilitate greater access to postgraduate training for doctors serving the region and its surrounding areas