Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) here on Sunday inaugurated SimuVerse 2026, a three-day national conference on simulation-based medical education and advanced surgical skills, aimed at strengthening the practical training of doctors, postgraduate students, nurses and allied healthcare personnel.
The conference was jointly inaugurated by the Cabinet Minister for Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training, Aman Arora; and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Dr Baljeet Kaur.
Prof Rajeev Sood, Vice-Chancellor, BFUHS said SimuVerse 2026 marked a significant step towards positioning Punjab as a hub for simulation-based medical education.
Sood added that participants would receive practical training over three days in laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, endourology, reproductive medicine, arthroscopy, interventional cardiology, neurosurgery, ultrasound-guided procedures and other minimally invasive techniques. He furher said that the university intended to hold such skill development programmes regularly to help healthcare professionals continually upgrade their expertise, with the larger goal of improving patient safety and healthcare quality.
Among those present were Gurdit Singh Sekhon, MLA and member of the BFUHS Board of Management, along with senior university officials, faculty members and medical experts from various parts of the country.
On the occasion, the dignitaries inaugurated several new facilities, including the Geriatric Care Provider Lab, Emergency Medical Technician Lab, Advanced Surgical Simulation Centre, Multidisciplinary Advanced Surgical Anatomy and Imaging Lab, and an upgraded Ophthalmology Diagnostic and Laser Treatment Lab. These labs have been set up to provide hands-on training through advanced simulation technology, allowing healthcare professionals to practise procedures in a controlled environment before treating actual patients.
Aman Arora said modern healthcare depended as much on practical skill and technology as on theoretical knowledge, noting that simulation-based training gave doctors greater confidence to perform procedures safely, ultimately benefiting patients. He expressed hope that Punjab could emerge as a leading centre for quality medical education.
Dr Baljeet Kaur, recalling her long association with the university, said it was heart-warming to see BFUHS hosting a conference of this scale and praised the Vice-Chancellor’s team for upgrading infrastructure and introducing advanced technology.
Gurdit Singh Sekhon also congratulated the university for its rapid progress in education, research and healthcare under Prof Sood’s leadership.
The conference is being attended by several eminent experts from leading institutions across India, including Prof (Dr) Sudhir Kumar Rawal, Prof (Dr) Anup Kumar, Prof (Dr) P.P. Singh, Prof (Dr) Rishi Nayyar and Prof (Dr) Anil Varshney, who will conduct scientific sessions and hands-on training through the event. The visiting faculty members were felicitated by the university at the inaugural session.
Over the next three days, participants — including senior faculty, consultants, postgraduate students and resident doctors from medical colleges across Punjab and other states — will take part in workshops, live demonstrations, expert lectures and simulation-based training sessions. Participants described the new facilities as world-class and said the initiative would go a long way in strengthening practical medical training in the region.
