LAHORE – The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has announced the expansion of its flagship community service program “Pyari Beti” to include undergraduate medical students as part of their academic curriculum. The announcement was made by UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore during a meeting of the heads of community medicine departments of medical colleges across Punjab, held at the university on Friday.
The Pyari Beti initiative, launched to provide adolescent girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds with guidance on reproductive health, psychological wellbeing, and nutrition, will now be a mandatory community service activity for fourth-year MBBS students at UHS-affiliated colleges.
“This is a unique opportunity for our medical students to serve the community while learning from real-world experiences,” said Prof Rathore. “From this year onwards, fourth-year MBBS students will engage in classroom-based learning followed by field visits to schools and local health facilities. Their interaction with girls aged 9 to 19 will be guided by evidence-based practices to address physical and psychological challenges related to reproductive health”, he added.
Students will maintain a logbook of their activities and will be assessed as part of their internal evaluation in the subject of Community Medicine. Their performance will also be assessed during the 4th professional examination.
Calling upon the faculty to actively support the implementation of the program, Prof Rathore said, “I urge you to prepare the students not just academically but emotionally and ethically for this important role. This initiative is expected to yield long-term benefits for the health and social empowerment of young girls across the province.”
Prof Rathore also encouraged the development of undergraduate research projects related to Pyari Beti, assuring faculty that funding would be made available for meaningful studies.
The meeting was attended by Pro Vice Chancellor and Pyari Beti focal person Prof Nadia Naseem, and Head of Medical Education Prof Sumaira Badar, along with senior faculty members from medical colleges across Punjab. The faculty appreciated the structured approach and the VC’s commitment to socially responsive medical education.
