07 February 2005	Monday	27 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Feb 6: Health care system oriented towards family medicine is associated with lower costs, higher satisfaction of the population with its health care services, better health levels and lower medication use.

This was stated by Dr Garth Manning, Medical Director, International Development Programme, Royal College of General Practitioners, the UK, while speaking at the 2nd International Family Medicine Conference on "Strengthening the central role of family medicine in health care".

The event was organized by Aga Khan University's Department of Family Medicine in collaboration with the World Organization of Family Doctors, Royal College of General Practitioners, the UK, and the College of Family Medicine. Physicians from various parts of the world, including Australia, East Africa, the Middle East, the UK and the US, attended the programme.

Medical professionals of international repute explored the issues pertaining to strengthening the central role of family medicine in relation to clinical care, preventive care, continuing medical education, research and development of leadership skills.

Dr Valerie Vass, Professor in Community-Based Medical Education, the University of Manchester, the UK, spoke on the methods of teaching and training of doctors for the 21st century. She also talked about the need to cope with the impending change - change due to globalization, changing patterns in health care delivery, patient empowerment, ethics and accountability.

She said that the new century entailed greater focus on the patient than disease, good communication by the doctors with the patient and ability to handle uncertainty and risk through professionalism.

Dr Jill Benson from the University of Adelaide, Australia, discussed what she described as a 'culturally sensitive consultation model' that brings into its fold the different cultural sensitivities involved during patient consultation.

She suggested that recognizing the patient as the expert in his or her culture and using respect and curiosity as a way of moving through the consultation. At the same time, she highlighted health literacy on the part of the patient as key to decreasing fear and increasing health options.

Dr Mohammad Khurshid, the dean of AKU's medical college, said that it was generally recognized in both developed and developing countries that the quality of family medicine practice could play a central role in the improvement of health care of every section of the population in a caring and cost-effective way.

Dr Riaz Qureshi, the chairman of AKU's Family Medicine Department, mentioned that the WHO had identified certain major barriers to equitable health care in developing countries. He elaborated that these barriers had been defined as unequal access to prevention and care, rising costs of health care, inefficient health care systems and weak emphasis on general training.

He said the WHO had duly acknowledged the family medicine practitioner as a physician who would play the central role in overcoming these barriers.

Dr Shatendra Gupta, Prof-essor and Regional President of the WONCA, Middle East and South Asian Region, said that the WONCA's mission included fostering and maintaining high standards of care in General Practice/Family Medicine and promoting personal, comprehensive and continuing care of the individual in the context of the family and community.

Dr Gupta's presentation was followed by an address by AKU's President Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, who was the chief guest at the inaugural session.

Comparing the role of family physician with that of the old practitioner, Kassim-Lakha explained that the principles of family medicine were applied on all cultures and social groups universally. He said that emphasis should not only be made on curative aspects of the care but also on the promotion of a healthy mind and body along with prevention of the disease.

The practitioners of this specialty, he continued, focussed on the physical, psychological, personal and social aspects of care using a holistic family-centred approach.

Earlier, Dr David Taylor, acting provost of the AKU, also spoke. -APP