NUMS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZED FIELD VISIT FOR BSPH STUDENTS TO RHC BAGGA SHEIKHAN, RAWALPINDI

NUMS Department of public health arranges multiple learning opportunities for the students of Bachelors of Public Health to have clear understanding of practical aspect of Public Health. A field visit was organized for the students as part of the Community Oriented Medical Education to Rural health Centre (RHC) Bagga Sheikhan Rawalpindi on 7th October from 0900 to 1400 hrs.

The objective of the visit was to orient students regarding health care delivery system network and its functioning. Another objective was to explain the general organizational structure and functioning of the Rural health Centers.

The Rural Health Center (RHC) is intended to increase access to primary care services for patients in rural communities. The RHC provides promotive, preventive, curative, diagnostics, inpatient services, medico-legal, dental, referral and ambulance services with 10-20 inpatients beds capacity over a catchment population of up to 100000 people.

Pre visit briefing facilitated by Huzaifa Akram (Asst.Prof Public Health) was given a day before the visit for the students about the functioning of RHC. Field training Performa comprising of different sections (Objectives, Activity Profile, human resource, supplies, services and HMIS) were also given to them to be filled during visit. All three batches of BSPH students accompanied by Dr Tamkeen Jaffry (Assoc.Prof), Dr Hina Shan (Asst.Prof), Huzaifa Akram (Asst.Prof) and Ms Rubab (Asst.Manager) from the department of Public Health were given a tour of the premises.

An initial briefing was delivered to students by Senior Medical Officer about responsibilities and health services provided by RHC. The students visited every section of the Rural Health Center and observed the different aspects of health care service delivery to the patients. Then students in the form of groups were given demonstration about functioning and working of different stations of RHC (emergency room, T.B dots facilitator room, population welfare centre, EPI room, homeopathic clinic, dispensary, laboratory, labour room and Operation Theater). Students got the opportunity to observe and understand the practical aspect of rural health Centers and hence the primary health care system in Pakistan. They observed services being provided by RHC include medical checkup of patients, immediate Trauma management, Surgical procedures, Medico legal case report, Antenatal checkup, Laboratory tests (anemia, malaria, pregnancy test, urine test for sugar & protein), Normal delivery, Family planning services, EPI vaccination, Immunization (TT), TB treatment (TB dots programme), Growth monitoring  and Nutrition Counseling.

The Head of Department Public Health Prof.Dr Uzma Hassan congratulated and appreciated the team of Department of Public Health on their hard work and commendable job for the smooth conduction of such a significant field visit. The HoD stressed on the importance of field visit for students as it encourages them to be more productive and efficient.