For the first time in the history of Pakistan, guidelines for the treatment of helicobacter pylori infection, an issue faced by over 70 per cent of the population of the country, have been launched at the concluding session of the 5th Annual Conference of the Pak GI & Liver Disease Society (PGLDS) on Sunday. The treatment guidelines have been prepared by gastroenterologists associated with the PGLDS as well as the Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP), and they would help health experts and general physicians provide standardised care to patients, the organisers said. Speaking at the concluding session, PGLDS President Dr Lubna Kamani said that in addition to training young doctors, their society was focusing on research in the field of gastroenterology as well as encouraging more women in the field of gastroenterology, as female patients feel comfortable while discussing their issues with female doctors. “In this regard, we have launched WillMed, Women in Leadership League of Medicine, to encourage female doctors to come forward and get themselves trained in the field of medicine and gastroenterology.” Dr Lubna, who is professor of gastroenterology at the Liaquat National Hospital Karachi, said that for the first time they have used simulators to train young gastroenterologists in endoscopy and other procedures of gastrointestinal tract, while they have also come up with treatment guidelines for the management of helicobacter pylori infection in a large number of Pakistani population.
Earlier, in his address as the chief guest, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Executive Director Prof Dr Shahid Rasool said that hundreds of trained and qualified gastroenterologists were required at tertiary-care health facilities in the country, as around 60 to 70 per cent of the patients who visit hospitals’ emergencies have complaints regarding gastrointestinal tract and liver diseases. “Around 60 to 70 per cent burden on healthcare facilities’ emergencies is comprised of patients in need of treatment for diarrhoea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal health issues and problems for liver.
In these circumstances, we need more trained and qualified gastroenterologists to deal with the growing burden of patients with GI health issues,” Dr Rasool said during the inaugural session on Saturday. Leading medical specialists and gastroenterologists from different parts of the country as well as medical students and postgraduate trainees are attending the three-day scientific conference, during which issues of water-borne illnesses, viral and bacterial infections, including hepatitis B and C, irritable bowel syndrome, and the use of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and treatment are being discussed, while hands-on training sessions on advanced endoscopy and other procedures have also been arranged.
“The JPMC’s gastroenterology department was established with the efforts of the late Dr Seemin Jamali, and now Dr Nazish Butt is leading it. We are going to have a state-of-the-art gastroenterology department in the new medical complex, where all modern facilities for the treatment of GI diseases would be available,” he said, and lauded the PGLDS for training young consultants to meet the country’s need for specialists. Renowned gastroenterologist Prof Wasim Jafri said that despite difficult political and economic conditions, talented Pakistani specialists and youngsters had the ability to steer the country out of any crisis, and urged young graduates to stay in the country, get themselves equipped with the latest techniques and knowledge, and help the suffering humanity.
In his keynote address, eminent gastroenterologist Prof Aamir Ghafoor deplored that the standard of medical education, especially the FCPS, was declining in the country, and urged young graduates to focus on learning, acquiring knowledge and modern techniques to compete with medical specialists around the world. “There is no shortcut for success. Our youngsters are focusing more on earning money instead of gaining knowledge and skills. Unless you have the knowledge and skills, you can’t be a good doctor and respectable health professional.” PGLDS Patron Prof Dr Shahid Ahmed said that a vast majority of Pakistani population was suffering from different ailments of gastrointestinal tract, but unfortunately, trained and qualified consultants were not available to them even in the city’s outskirts, small towns and rural areas of the country. “In these circumstances, the PGLDS is striving for training young doctors so that facilities of endoscopy, ERCP and other advanced procedures can be made available to a vast majority of population.” Other senior medical professionals, including Prof Nazish Butt, Prof Dr Sajjad Jamil, Dr Affan Qaiser, Dr Bakhat Buland and Dr Hussain Baloch, and several other experts also delivered talks at the conference.
