UHS Launches PRIME Digital Platform to Transform Medical Training Across Punjab

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has launched PRIME, a province-wide digital platform designed to integrate the monitoring of medical education, clinical training, and professional competency assessments across Punjab. The system was inaugurated at UHS by Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique.

In its first phase, PRIME will serve postgraduate medical and dental programs, covering approximately 3,300 MS, MD, and MDS trainees at 33 training institutions. UHS will also register around 1,100 supervisors on the portal. The platform replaces traditional paper logbooks with digital records that document clinical cases, procedures, attendance, rotations, research work, and workplace-based assessments.

Supervisors will use PRIME to verify trainees' clinical and academic work, provide feedback, and track their progress. Institutional dashboards will enable UHS to assess training standards and identify areas for improvement. Speaking at the launch, Minister Rafique praised UHS for creating a digital mechanism to monitor training and expressed hope that PRIME would significantly enhance postgraduate education. He noted that the platform's data would help pinpoint training gaps and guide evidence-based decisions, while also supporting efforts to improve the performance of supervisors and institutions.

UHS Vice Chancellor Maj Gen Prof. Sohail Sabir (Retd) emphasized that PRIME would shift health professions education beyond routine record-keeping to a focus on demonstrated clinical competence and verified professional skills. He outlined an expansion plan: the second phase will cover undergraduate MBBS and BDS programs, along with house-job training, bringing approximately 33,875 students and house officers from 60 medical and dental colleges onto the platform. The third phase will incorporate Nursing, Pharmacy, and Allied Health Sciences programs, covering around 31,734 students at 180 institutions.

Prof. Muhammad Asif Naveed, Director of Postgraduate Studies at UHS, briefed attendees on the portal's functions and implementation framework. He explained that PRIME will incorporate quarterly continuous internal assessments and workplace-based evaluations, including Mini-CEX, Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS), and Case-Based Discussions. The initiative marks a significant step toward digitizing medical education and training in Punjab, with the potential to enhance the quality of healthcare professionals across the province.