Launching of Audio-Visual Centre
The Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan launched Audio-Visual Centre, KGUMSB today on 
the 31st December 2021. An occasion was graced by Hon’ble Chief Guest, Her Excellency Dasho Dechen Wangmo, Minister for Health, Dasho President, JICA Chief Representative, Registrar, Director, Deans and other dignitaries.
During the launch, the official handing taking of 1st Year’s Equipment took place. Technical corporation project “strengthening medical education in Bhutan“ supported by JICA has come at a crucial time when recourses are constrained by the COVID 19 pandemic. The project embarked from the year 2020 and will run for five years, with a total budget of $4 million. The project aims to strengthen various aspects of medical education by upgrading educational ICT infrastructures, faculty development, and governance in order to enhance the efficiency of healthcare professionals to provide high-quality healthcare services across the country.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, JICA assisted the institution in purchasing equipment worth Nu. 33 million for ICT infrastructures, audio-visual, and smart classrooms, of which Nu. 6 million was invested to establish audio-visual centre. Through this audio-visual centre, we can address the rising need for contextualized online teaching learning resources for high quality education and academic continuity even during the pandemics by adopting e-learning and blended learning strategy. It will also expedite efforts to establish a virtual learning platform to meet the present educational demand of the country’s front-line health care providers in order to upgrade their skills and knowledge. The audio-visual centre also potentially serves to accommodate innovative educational materials such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality which are emerging in the field of medical education.
The three staff (2 ICT’s and 1 Liberian Asst.) were trained for 6 weeks on audio-visual skills that is required to operate the studio. JICA TCP supported the training, mainly to develop the education materials inhouse. The team will start producing course contents and educational materials for 12 National Resuscitation Courses, Total Quality Management, PEN HEARTS, Postgraduate, Undergraduate, diploma and other related courses.
