KARACHI, Pakistan: A recent unique health convention at the Institute of Business Management IoBM highlighted the future role of health management in healthcare sector of Pakistan. The convention was held on Saturday August 17, 2013 by the MBA Health and Hospital Management program at IoBM, inviting some of the top healthcare leaders of the country to discuss the future resource and business challenges of healthcare in Pakistan. This event was a showcasing of the strategic and analytical skills of the MBA MHM students studying in the program who demonstrated these skills through poster exhibition, based on the model of experiential learning. These students are already practicing physicians, dental surgeons, pharmacists and allied health care professionals working at different levels within public and private healthcare domains. Guests in the hospital sector included prominent and leading figures from Indus Hospital, Tabba Heart, Liaquat National Hospital, Memon Medical Institute Hospital. Various pharmaceutical industries taking part in the convention included CEOs of Abbott, GSK, ATCO and Pharmevo respectively. Other healthcare sectors included NGOs such as SINA, Marie Stopes, Pharmevo/Healthcare Paradigm and Essa Laboratories and Diagnostics. Mr Ghulam Haider Khan, Director Higher Education Commission, Government of Pakistan also attended the event. The key topics under discussion in the Health Management Syndicate Bridging the Academics-Industry comprised topics such as partnering academics and industry, channelizing the gaps, problem based learning and case studies, collaborative fronts and creation of job opportunities for health managers and professionals. The convention was organized by students’ CBM Society of Health Managers CSHM, amid the guidance of Dr Asima Faisal, Head of Department of Health and Hospital Management, Dr. Humeira Jawed, Senior Faculty Health and Hospital Management and Dr. Tayaba Khan, President of the CSHM.
