LAHORE: Infection Prevention and Control Foundation (IPAC) in collaboration with Health & Hygiene Limited recently organized ‘The Volunteers Oath Taking Ceremony 2020’ for VFAHT Volunteers at Governor House. Dental volunteers participated in the event to spread the message of cross contamination in general public about hepatitis transmission. The ceremony was held to induce a sense of determination and the commitment to the cause and increase understanding of VFAHT to newly formed local chapters.
His Excellency Ch. Mohammad Sarwar, Governor, Punjab being the chief guest of the event took an oath from the VFAHT volunteers. Dr. Umair Haider, Chief Operating Officer, IPAC Foundation, Dr. Aqib Mudassar, Head of Department, Oral Hygiene and Safe Dentistry, IIPAC and Prof. Dr. Khalid Masud Gondal, Vice-Chancellor, King Edward Medical University (KEMU) were the main speakers of the event. They talked about ‘Introduction of volunteer force against hepatitis transmission’, ‘Role of dental volunteers in VFAHT’ and ‘Volunteer work and healthcare professionals’ respectively. The ceremony was attended by 120 volunteers and 30 Vice-Chancellors, Principals and Head of Institutes of all medical and dental colleges in Lahore, partners and friends of IPAC foundation.
Dr. Aqib Mudassar spoke about the significance and implication of Cross Infection Control Prevention in dental setups and how to work together as a team for the enhancement of the standards of dental setups in Pakistan.
Volunteer Force Against Hepatitis Transmission (VFAHT) is a volunteer body of faculty members and students from 20 medical and dental institutes across the country, with the aim of creating awareness in the field of Public Health and Infection Control. VFAHT organizes more than 100 on-campus and community activities each year. The aim of the volunteer body is the empowerment of future healthcare professionals and increased coverage of awareness about basic concepts of preventive health in the society.
VFAHT inducts new volunteers in the National Council and each Local Council during the first month, each year, and the process is followed by an Oath Taking Ceremony. This ceremony mirrors the tradition of Oath Taking by medical and dental students which is the earliest expression of medical ethics in the history of the world. All Vice-Chancellors and Heads of Medical and Dental Institutes attends the event as the guests of honors to witness the ceremony. It provides an excellent opportunity to pave the way towards making VFAHT a ground-breaking force against all infectious diseases in Pakistan.
-DN Report
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
