LAHORE - The University of Health Sciences (UHS), on Thursday, issued a special Covid-19 supplement of its scientific journal, Biomedica.
It is the first scientific publication of any medical institution of the country which has specifically focused on the deadly virus.
Addressing at the launching ceremony of the journal, UHS Board of Governors’ chairman, Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani said that despite being a global health crisis, the coronavirus had stimulated scientific knowledge and discovery in an unprecedented manner.
“More than 22,000 papers on the virus have been published in last 4 months, and more than 2,000 trials are underway the world over.
They are testing everything from clot-busting drugs to monoclonal antibodies to convalescent plasma donated by patients, who have recovered not to mention a growing number of vaccines”, he added.
Scientists, Justice Jillani opined, were doing their best work to make sure that they answer the questions as definitively as possible.
He, however, stressed that the scientists had to work together to really understand the range of questions that needed to be addressed.
“For those doing research on Covid-19, it is better to provide a few clear answers than no answers to lots of things”, he said and added that there was no substitute for well-done trials and research.
He congratulated the Editor and Editorial team of the journal for taking a lead in the publication of special supplement.
UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram said that the journal which was first issued in 1982 had made history today.
“This is a guidebook on Covid-19. General public and professionals can use it as a reference for information about the coronavirus disease. We have even told them that in order to save themselves from going 4-feet under the ground, they will have to keep a distance of 4-feet from one another”, Prof Javed added.
UHS VC announced that the university would make public the preliminary results of the biggest drug trail initiated on Covid patients next month. He further said that another research project to judge the efficacy of Vitamin D3 for corona-positive patients was being launched by UHS in collaboration with Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine (PSIM) and Scotman pharmaceuticals.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed in this regard on the occasion.
UHS histopathology department’s head, Prof Nadia Naseem, who is also the Editor of Biomedica, said that that the issue contained 73 articles, including 12 original research papers, with representation from different medical institutions of Pakistan and abroad. “We have submissions from New Zealand, UK, Canada, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
This collection includes the latest medical research related to the virus as well as top social and behavioral topics to help individuals, communities and leaders make the best decisions on dealing the outbreak and its consequences”, she claimed.
The Principals and faculty of affiliated medical colleges attended the ceremony whereas foreign scientists participated through video link.