Basic ERCP workshop concludes

Rawalpindi : A two-day workshop on Basic Skills in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) concluded here at the Centre for Liver and Digestive Diseases (CLD) in Holy Family Hospital on Saturday.

The workshop was organized by Society of Therapeutic Endoscopy Pakistan (STEP) in collaboration with Rawalpindi Medical University and CLD. Vice Chancellor of Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Dr. Mohammad Umar gave a welcome address to all delegates and participants who reached HFH to attend the workshop from across the country.

Speaking on the occasion, he explained the importance of Continued Medical Education workshops and courses and shared his views regarding his theme of developing Centre for Liver and Digestive Diseases (CLD). He said while designing this centre, his aim was to train and educate the gastroenterologists from all over the country in advance procedures of endoscopy so that they can treat and operate latest state of the art equipment in the small centres of Pakistan.

He also explain that in future he is going to start regular certificate and diploma courses in Rawalpindi Medical University in Gastroenterology for young and budding consultants.

In the workshop, state of the art lecture was given by Professor Bushra Khaar, Professor of Medicine, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at Centre for Liver and Digestive Diseases (CLD) on tricks, techniques and indications of ERCP. The participants who are performing these procedures in their hospitals and want to improve their skills were given chance of hands on training under supervision.

The participants of the workshop were very satisfied with the training they have received saying that the workshop was highly informative and would be much useful for their daily practice in handling the patients.

During the two-day workshop, a total of 11 ERCP procedures were done successfully, which includes, Cholangiocarcinoma, Choledocolethiasis, Peri Ampullary Growth and CA Gallbladder. As many as 15 participants who are qualified gastroenterologists and physicians from KPK and Punjab attended the hands on workshop. The directors of the course were Professor Muhammad Umar and Professor Bushra Khaar while co-directors of the course were Dr. Zahid Mahmood Minhas, Dr. Tanvir Hussain, Dr. Aqsa Naseer and Dr. Tayyab Saeed Akhter.