KARACHI, April 3: Around 500 orthopaedic experts from all over the world are scheduled to attend the second Saarc Orthopaedic Conference, beginning on Friday.

A number of state-of-the-art lectures on important topics relating to orthopaedics will form part of the four-day conference (from April 5 to 8).

Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro will be the chief guest at the opening session of the conference being organized by the Pakistan Orthopaedic Association in collaboration with the Orthopaedic Association of Saarc Countries, the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, the Association of Studies & Application of Methods of Lizarov and the National Conference of Pakistan Orthopaedic Association.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, the chairman of the organizing committee, Prof Yunis Soomro, said the conference would be attended by world-renowned orthopaedic surgeons and medical experts, who would share their knowledge and expertise in the field.

The programme covers a wide-range of lectures, interactive workshops and discussions on recent developments in the field.

Experts from not only the member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Saarc but also from Singapore, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia have registered for the conference.

Prof Soomro lamented that because of the prevailing tension between Pakistan and India, a large number of the registered delegates were having problems in coming to the country. For the promotion of knowledge and expertise, he said, it was imperative that technical and educational collaboration between the two countries was encouraged.

He remarked that import of orthopaedic implants being produced in India should be allowed, saying that they (the implants) were not only of good quality, but also cost far less than those imported from the west.

Scientific Committee Chairman Prof I. A. Jokhio and Cultural Programme Chairman Dr S. M. A. Shah also spoke.