KARACHI, Dec 10: Thirty Indian doctors will be reaching Karachi on Saturday to take part in a symposium to be organized jointly by the Pakistan Doctors for Peace and Development (PDPD) and Indian Doctors for Peace
and Development (IDPD).
The event will be held in collaboration with the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).
Speaking at a press briefing, PDPD President Prof Tipu Sultan informed journalists that the Indian doctors, who had already reached Lahore, would reach the city by 12 noon on Saturday (today) by train.
Prof Sultan said the Indian doctors were supposed to come over in July or August this year. "But because, India and Pakistan were at loggerheads back then, we could not arrange visas for them, and the event had to be postponed," he remarked.
He said receptions would be held to welcome the visiting Indians on Saturday, including the one to be organized by the PDPD and another by the Arts Council. On Sunday, Prof Sultan said, the joint symposium would start. He said both PDPD and IDPD were constituent bodies of the IPPNW--, which opposed the development and use of nuclear weapons and nuclear wars.
He said the both doctors' bodies were concerned that hefty amounts were being spent on both sides of the India-Pakistan border on acquisition of weapons. "As a result, not enough money was allocated for health and education sectors," he deplored.
Referring to education as an extremely important issue even in the US and British elections, he said: "When education can become a high priority subject in the countries with high literacy rates, why can't it be given its due importance in developing countries like Pakistan."
Prof Sultan said it was sad that not long ago some one million troops had been amassed alongside the Indo-Pak border. "This was despite three or four wars between the two countries, in which none of the main concerns of the peoples of subcontinent were addressed."
Prof Tipu Sultan said women constituted 50 per cent of the population of India and Pakistan. "And the maternal mortality rate in both India and Pakistan stood at more than 400 per 100,000 population, which is totally unacceptable."
Dr Kaleem Butt of the Civil Hospital Karachi said that during the symposium matters relating to the common health problems of the two countries would also be discussed at length. "Issues in transfer of technology and cheap provision of medicines to the people will particularly be discussed," he added.
According to details, the inaugural session of the symposium will be addressed by Dr Livtar Singh Chawla, President, IDPD, Prof Arun Mitra and Dr Haroon Ahmed, who will present the key-note speeches, adds APP. Launching of the Urdu translation of "Baybus Parinda" by Balbir Singh will also be held on the occasion.
During the first session of the symposium - "Peace and Health" position papers by Prof Tipu Sultan, "Peace is Essential for Health - A Fundamental Right", and "Health Care Status in South Asia by Dr Shakil-ur-Rehman (IDPD) will be presented. Ghazi Salahuddin, Iqbal Haider, Asad Iqbal Butt and Uzma Noorani will speak in the follow-up section of the session.
