KARACHI, Sept 7: The vice-chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, Prof Masood Hameed Khan, has assured incorporating ‘Child abuse module for proper and timely diagnosis and management’ into the university’s teachers training curriculum.

Inaugurating the two-day masters training workshop on “Protection and case management of child abuse” at paediatrics ward of Lyari General Hospital on Wednesday, he said that importance of the issue could not be overlooked and skill development among doctors as well as teachers was an essential requirement.

Prof Masood Hameed said that the agenda would be included in the ongoing DUHS training sessions for teachers and doctors. He said due measures were also needed to be taken by all segments of society and at all levels to prevent instances of child abuse. However, he said that it was the responsibility of parents and teachers to identify vulnerability of children and prevent the same.

Doctors and relevant health care professionals must also be competent enough to assess the nature of trauma and ensure fool proof management, he said, adding that medical schools and colleges ought to play their due role.

The Medical Superintendent of Lyari General Hospital, Prof Akbar Haider Soomro, said that the workshop was part of ongoing educational activities at the hospital. Pro-active approach was required to address such issues, he said.

Earlier, Prof Ayesha Mehnaz, the head of Lyari General Hospital Paediatric Ward, highlighted the importance of basic skills among local medical community, particularly doctors to manage cases of child abuse.

She said that 70 per cent to 80 per cent of children reporting to the paediatrics department of Lyari hospital were suffering from severe malnourishment. The situation might not be categorically identified as child abuse, but she added that it was a definite reflection of the “neglect”, which subtly paved way for abusing any child right for quality and dignified existence.

It was reminded that malnourishment was registered to be generally prevalent in 40 per cent of all young children across the country.

She mentioned that this was first of the series of workshops planned by the Paediatrics Department of Lyari General Hospital and a local NGO, Konpal.—APP