The 49th Annual Symposium of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre,Karachiconcluded after five days of presentations, scientific sessions and workshops by medical and academic experts.
Various day sessions were held on gynecology and obstetrics, disaster management, general medicine, dental surgery and facio-maxillary sessions at JPMC and paeds medicine and surgery session at NICH. During 5 days symposium 80 experts delivered their speeches, 180 presentations and 150 poster presentations were presented.
Special Sessions Subjects
The 5-day long symposium started with special session on Myths & Facts about TEA ended up with seminar on Disaster Management including various sessions on Neuromedicine, Mental Health, General Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Chest Endocrine / Rheumatology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Medicine & Surgery Session –Orthopedic & General Surgery, Colorectal, Gastro, Hepatobiliary, Laparoscopy, Plastic, Thoracic, Thyroid, Radiotherapy / Oncology, , Diabetes Session, Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Histopathology, Microbiology, Clinical Pathology and Dermatology.
Prof. Tasnim Ahsan, JPMC’s executive director said that JPMC was the first institute in the country to organise a medical symposium. Some of the topics covered over this year’s symposium included neuromedicine, hematology, gastro surgery, laparoscopy histopathology, radiology, anesthesiology, dermatology, pediatric medicine and surgery and dentistry, among others.
However, Prof. Ahsan also referred to the confusion arising due to devolution of healthcare to the provinces after the passage of the 18th amendment. “JPMC does not get any funds for areas where it needs help, like teaching and research.” She also appreciated the work done by the hospital’s team, who often find themselves at the receiving end of criticism from the people.
JPMC had also invited three speakers from outsideKarachito highlight other healthcare issues in the country. Mehmoodul Hasan, a visually impaired senior lecturer at Baqai University Islamabad, said that there are nearly 12.5 million disabled people inPakistanwho need accessible facilities. “Doctors are
Faryal Gohar, a human rights activist, presented the high maternal mortality rate of nearly 30,000 deaths per year as evidence for the hardships faced by women in the country.
Javed Jabbar, former information minister, highlighted various success stories inPakistan’s healthcare sector, like Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation,IndusHospital, the newly-constructed Memon Medical Institute and the Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust eye hospitals, among others.
Prof Jamal Ara said it was only through sharing experiences, feelings and insights that we can hope to grow beyond our finite lifetime. “The idea is to invigorate all stakeholders and make them think if they are ready to grow today.” The JPMC was the pioneer medical institute of the country that had been organising its annual medical symposium since 1963. She appreciated efforts and contributions of speakers, delegates, Management & Pharma companies to make the symposium very successful.