ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has endorsed Islamabad Medical & Dental College’s (IMDC) initiative to advance Artificial Intelligence in healthcare education, as the institution completed its first Clinical AI Healthcare Certificate Program in collaboration with Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU).
PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj commended the initiative at the certificate-awarding ceremony, describing it as an important step towards preparing healthcare professionals for a rapidly changing medical landscape.
The four-week, weekend-based programme comprised 10 credit hours and brought together 24 medical and dental students and healthcare professionals for training in practical applications of AI in healthcare.
Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj attended the ceremony as chief guest, accompanied by PMDC Registrar Brig. (R) Dr. Syed Rehan Naqvi and Director Academics Dr. Sitara. SZABMU was represented by Registrar Prof. Dr. Syed Tanseer Asghar and Head of Medical Education Dr. Fauzia Sultana.
Endorsing IMDC’s initiative and its commitment to innovation, the PMDC president stressed the need to keep medical education aligned with the evolving requirements of the profession and the healthcare system.
Senior representatives of PMDC and SZABMU also visited IMDC’s state-of-the-art computer laboratory established for Clinical AI training. The SZABMU management reaffirmed its support for IMDC’s pioneering Clinical AI initiative and expressed commitment to a long-term academic partnership with the college in AI education, research and innovation.
IMDC welcomed the confidence and encouragement extended by PMDC, reaffirming its resolve to advance AI in healthcare education in line with the evolving direction and roadmap of PMDC and the Government of Pakistan for innovation and the future of medical education.
Yasir Khan Niazi, Group CEO of GAK HealthCare International and IMDC, said Pakistan was entering a new era in healthcare as Artificial Intelligence was rapidly transforming healthcare delivery worldwide.
“AI is no longer the future of healthcare; it is already redefining it. The institutions that understand this transformation today will shape the healthcare of tomorrow,” he said.
He said the completion of IMDC’s first Clinical AI cohort marked the first milestone in the institution’s long-term vision to lead this transformation.
“We are moving beyond teaching AI as a new subject towards leading the integration of AI, digital medicine and emerging technologies across medical, dental, nursing and allied health sciences education, preparing graduates not simply to use tomorrow’s technologies, but to innovate and excel with them,” he said.
Yasir Khan Niazi said technology must ultimately make quality healthcare more accessible. He said IMDC envisioned a connected healthcare ecosystem where major hospitals, local clinics and general practitioners could harness AI and global medical advances to deliver timely and high-quality care.
“That is how we see technology advancing our vision of Quality Healthcare for All,” he said.
The initiative is academically supported by Dr. Muhammad Usman Hadi of Ulster University, Belfast, UK, who is also Adjunct Professor of AI at IMDC, bringing international academic expertise to the institution’s Clinical AI education and development.
Imran Ali Ghouri, Head of IMDC Communication, said IMDC was building on this milestone by advancing its Center for AI in Healthcare as a platform for Clinical AI education, applied research, innovation and collaboration, while expanding its AI programmes and research.
He said the continued support of PMDC and collaboration with SZABMU provided a strong institutional foundation for the next phase, positioning IMDC to lead the integration of AI into healthcare education, prepare professionals for global advances in the field and create new opportunities for them in Pakistan and internationally.
