LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Prof Dr Mohamamd Nizammuddin has said that the training of local health professionals and enhancing their skills is imperative to counter the health challenges confronting Pakistan. “Training and continuous professional development of health practitioners is the need of the hour,” said the chairman during a certificate distribution ceremony at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Tuesday. Any project aimed at strengthening the medical profession has the potential to affect million, he said, adding that the certificate course in medical teaching launched by the UHS under the International Strategic Partnership in Research and Education (INSPIRE) project, sponsored by the British Council, can bring about positive changes in delivery of quality health services. Speaking on the occasion, British Council’s representative, Hajra Khan, said that around 27 UK universities have formal partnerships or long-term agreements with higher education institutions in Punjab. “As many as 56 programmes are running in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission,” she said, adding that the research and technology was on the top of British Council’s agenda. A total of 50 successful participants of fourth batch of Certificate in Medical Teaching (CMT) programme were awarded certificates in the ceremony. The facilitators from the University of Liverpool, UK, trained participants which were selected from various public and private medical colleges of Punjab. UHS Vice Chancellor Major General (r) Prof Muhammad Aslam said the university is collaborating with the University of Liverpool under the INSPIRE banner to develop an innovative and sustainable project aimed at enhancing research and secure funding for the health projects. UHS’s Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) Director Prof Arif Rashid Khwaja, who is the focal person of the programme, said the course was taught on campus in two sessions. Between the teaching sessions, the students carried out a series of activities at their workplace and gathered evidence of their teaching practice. Prof Khawaja added that so far 176 medical teachers had completed the training under the programme. Moreover, nine research projects had also been completed which were supervised by University of Liverpool.