CLD workshop trains Endoscopic Ultrasound and Colonoscopy consultants

Rawalpindi: The Centre for Liver and Digestive Diseases (CLD) at Department of Medicine at Holy Family Hospital organised two-day international training workshops on basic and advanced techniques of endoscopic ultrasound and colonoscopy that concluded here at the CLD on Wednesday.

The international workshop includes 8th Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Course and 7th Colonoscopy Course. Vice Chancellor at Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Dr. Muhammad Umar and Professor of Medicine Dr. Hamama-tul-Bushra Khaar were the course directors of the workshop while Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed from UK was the Course Co-director.

The course coordinators include Dr. Zahid Minhas, Dr. Arslan Shehzad and Dr. Tayyab Saeed Akhtar while Dr. Naeem Tehami and Dr. Ali Zahid from UK were the course facilitators. The workshop was designed to give hands-on training to the local consultants and postgraduate trainees while international consultants along with national experts performed procedures on patients involving EUS and colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy can be defined as a test used to look inner lining of large intestine including rectum and colon through a thin flexible tube called a colonoscope. The colonoscopy is used to find ulcers, colon polyps, tumors and areas of inflammation or bleeding in large intestine.

Doctors including gastroenterologists and postgraduate fellows including advanced endoscopists, gastrointestinal nurses and technicians were the target audience of the workshop organized from Tuesday to Wednesday. As many as 25 doctors hailing from various parts of the country attended the workshop.

During the international training courses, procedures involving EUS, Endoscopies and Colonoscopy were performed by expert national and international faculty. International and local experts performed a number of procedures using basic and advanced techniques of endoscopic ultrasound and colonoscope to give live training to local doctors, technicians and nurses.

Talking to the participants, Professor Umar said there has been a tremendous progress in using modern techniques of endoscopy at the CLD since its establishment at the HFH in 2012. The international experts appreciated the efforts of the CLD in arranging international training courses and providing quality services involving modern techniques of endoscopy to patients.

The CLD is headed by Professor Muhammad Umar and Professor Hamama-tul-Bushra Khaar. Thousands of patients requiring management of Advanced GI and Liver cancer, Hepatitis B and C, Peptic Ulcer and Hepatopancreato Biliary diseases have been treated in the CLD free of cost.