The University of Fiji and the Pacific Specialist Healthcare have signed a far-reaching Memorandum of Understanding which covers support for supervised medical attachments, clinical training, specialization, joint academic research and a proposed pharmaceutical research collaboration.
The University of Fiji says this MOU covers a period of three years and will mainly be executed at the PSH Hospital facility in Nadi.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem expressed her appreciation to the founder and CEO of PSH Hospitals Parvish Kumar for reaching out to the University of Fiji’s Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and Health Sciences to offer a collaboration that will allow UniFiji’s medical students to take full advantage of the high-level medical training provided at PSH.
Professor Shameem says the MoU covers both MBBS and Nursing programmes of the University.
She says the MoU will also provide avenues for working collaboratively with UniFiji’s medical academics in Saweni and Suva on research topics of mutual interest, particularly in specialist areas of medicine.
She adds this initiative will provide student attachments and hands-on clinical training opportunities under the supervision of highly qualified specialist professionals for different medical specializations and hospital protocols.
Professor Shameem also highlighted that it will enhance UPSM lecturers’ further education by providing specialist doctors as guest lecturers on topics of mutual interest and hosting case discussions, seminars and workshops.
The PSH Hospitals CEO Parvish Kumar says the initiative aims to inspire UniFiji students to become future leaders in the medical profession.
Kumar says they should look at producing their own medical professionals and through this collaboration, we are really hoping that we are able to inspire students.
