Prof. Javed Akram shares the diagnosis and management of a rare disease
Master Clinical Skills, listen to the patients and you will regain respect in the society – Prof. Ejaz Ahmad Vohra HCPs should practice patient centric medicine and involve them in decision making regarding their diseases – Prof. Aftab Mohsin
ISLAMABAD: We should develop our medical curriculum based on local conditions so that the fresh medical graduates are able to treat our patients and serve the ailing humanity in Pakistan rather than leaving the country. We keep on training and exporting doctors to serve overseas. This brain drain hurts me but the government as well as all other stake holders are not bothered at all. This was stated by Prof. Ejaz Ahmed Vohra an eminent physician and Patron of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine while speaking at the PSIM Assembly on second day April 27th 2024 of International conference it organized at Islamabad from April 25th to 28th 2024.
Group photograph of some of the national and international speakers
attending the PSIM International Conference held at Islamabad
from March 25th to March 28th 2024.
He further stated that we must ensure that medical education that we impart is related to the diseases and problems we face in Pakistan than training future doctors to serve overseas. Emerging extensive use of Artificial Intelligence was an important challenge which needs to be tackled appropriately. AI tools can never and will not replace physicians; they can be used to help physicians. Good history taking and comprehensive physical examination is extremely important to reach correct diagnosis. As such we should give due importance to teaching clinical skills to our future generation of healthcare professionals. Doctor patient relationship is important and no AI tools can provide empathy and compassion. He advised the healthcare professionals to listen to the patient. A good physician provides cure sometime but comforts always. Listen to the patient and it will ensure that you regain the lost respect in the society. Communication with the patient and their attendants is extremely important and a good listener will always provide lot of comfort to the patient, he added.
Continuing Prof. Ejaz Ahmad Vohra said that do everything to help the patient. He commended Prof. Javed Akram saying that the way he reached and helped the poor children from Baluchistan who were suffering from a rare disease shows his devotion and dedication. He has set an example which we all should follow. These days as soon as a patient consults a doctor, they are handed a long list of investigations like CT scan, MRI etc. Lot of un-necessary interventions like endoscopy, angioplasty and stenting are being performed with no indication and justification and these decisions are dictated by the commercial interests which bring a bad name to the entire medical profession. We must keep ourselves abreast of latest developments but go back to practice medicine as a Noble profession which it used to be in the past, he concluded.
Earlier Prof. Javed Akram President PSIM in his presentation entitled “A Medical Miracle” hinted at formation of a Society for Rare Diseases. He then discussed the management of two children from rural area of Baluchistan who suffered from a rare disease. It posed a diagnostic dilemma. They were probably suffering from Nocturnal Paralysis. These siblings used to be normal during the day but with sunset, they used to get paralyzed. All possible tests and investigations were performed. When L Dopa was administered, they woke up at night. A strange mutation was discovered which control muscle movements. Twenty three samples were taken from the family, seven variants were short listed and ten pathogenic predictions were made out of eleven. We are trying to find a cure, he remarked.
Prof. Aftab Mohsin Chairman of the organizing committee in his welcome address said that PSIM is determined to improve patient outcome. We are striving for collaboration between the knowledge industry and the Pharma industry. We wish to promote Evidence Based Medicine which is patient centric. The patients should participate in decision making in the management of their diseases. Such academic activities also provide a much needed break to the busy healthcare professionals and also prevent burnout. We are all determined to do something for the society.
Dr. Somia Iqtidar highlighted the journey of PSIM and its accomplishments so far. Prof. Tariq Waseem gave details of Tutorials which the PSIM has prepared as a resource for physicians in training. These are fifty session of fifteen to twenty minutes each. Prof. Azizur Rehman discussed the publication of Journal of PSIM as its Editor.
