Promotion of responsible biomedical research stressed

Islamabad: Psychiatry department at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) organized a seminar by gathering professionals from various disciplines of medicine, law and pharmaceutical industry to celebrate World Bioethics Day.

Professor Rizwan Taj, Head of psychiatry department at PIMS enlightened the audience about the importance of bioethics in day to day life and across all professions in his capacity as UNESCO Bioethics Chair Pakistan.

Asima Khan, associate clinical psychologist gave a presentation on the theme of World Bioethics Day this year that is Solidarity and Cooperation. This is the Article 13 of Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights which reflects the commitment that the declaration is based not only on the individualist concept of rights but also recognizes the importance of solidarity between individuals and across communities, she said.

Serious inequalities in access to health care worldwide increase the importance of solidarity as one of the principles of the declaration. She shared the brief background of Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights that in January 2005, the draft was examined by the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee and become the first internal legal instrument that comprehensively deals with the connection between human rights and bioethics.

Its main purpose is to gather some basic standards in order to help states to promote responsible biomedical research and clinical practice in compliance with the principles of international human rights law, she said.

Senior lawyer Rana Irshad Khan addressed the audience about the legal aspects of solidarity and cooperation and laws governing in Pakistan for its implementations to bring solidarity and cooperation in medical field. He highlighted the role of doctors in promoting physical and mental health and also gave an overview of problems they face that are over burden, long working hours, security threats, financial and social problems and explained the laws to overcome these issues.

He also explained the principles of brining cooperation among doctors and nurses for the welfare of the patients and overall solution of problems for making a welfare and peaceful society. Edward Palmer, visiting doctor from New Zealand shared his thoughts on the universality of human experience and the barriers we experience in achieving cooperation and solidarity, both in medicine and the world at large.

Through his travels both in Pakistan and elsewhere, he has come to the early realization that little truly divides us. In relation to human medicine, he warns of the decline of strong human relationships in developed countries, and pleads the audience to maintain this aspect so endearing to Pakistan. By seeking to understand our differences first rather than explain them, he suggests that cooperation will follow and a sense of human solidarity will be achieved.

The senior representative from pharmaceutical industry Dr. Hira Sadia Najeeb emphasized on the importance of the role of pharmaceutical companies by bringing solidarity and cooperation with healthcare providers to make treatment available at affordable rates to everyone.