May 9, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1427

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PESHAWAR, May 8: Experts have stressed the need for updating and rewriting clinical methods. “The situation has been made more appalling because clinicians all over the world are asking for investigations even before examining their patients,” said Professor Dr Mohammad Zarif, head of the department of medicine at the Khyber Medical College (KMC), on Monday.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of ‘Principles and Practice of Clinical Methods’, a book written by Dr Noorul Iman, associate professor of medicines at the KMC, Dr Zarif said that costly tests were suggested to patients by doctors even before having a look at them. Examination of patients had become a dying art and solely depending on the findings. Machines could be deceptive and wrong without consideration of the patients’ history and clinical findings, he added.

“The book offers knowledge of better communication skills, which our students lack. Such as what to ask our patients, what to look for, what to do with the findings and how to reach the diagnosis,” he said. The book, he added, would help students as to how they could become ethical and methodical doctors.

It is a well-written, clear, accurate and lucid book that could serve as an asset for medical students, he added.

Author of the book, Dr Noorul Iman was of the view that most available books were voluminous and out of grasp, and in the process students avoided reading the entire book.

“This led me to write this simple and understandable book which will make easier for them to learn important clinical skills without going through gory details,” he said.

Dean of the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Professor Arshad Javaid said that the process of research had not been accorded due importance in this part of the world, due to which researchers depended entirely on Indian or books written by writers from other countries.

This book, he said, was an immense effort aiming at enabling students and doctors to take benefit from it because of the author’s clinical observation and experience coupled with quality printing, stances and illustrations.

KMC Principal Professor Fazal Ahmad said that medicine was a sacred profession which needed to be used for serving the ailing humanity. He said that research had taken a back seat in the local institutions, but said that this book would serve as trend-setter and doctors would get inspired towards research in the area of medicines.

Health Minister Inayatullah Khan said that continuous medical education was of utmost importance to ensure better medical care in the country. It was religious and moral responsibility of doctors to provide better health facilities to patients.

“There is restlessness in the society because of immoral practices committed by some doctors. Unnecessary investigations and prescriptions to patients should be avoided,” he urged.

NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani counted the measures his government had taken to improve the healthcare system in the province and said that service structure for 10,000 paramedics had been approved.

“A new state-of-art Institute of Cardiology is being approved for the province. Funds for the cardiology ward at the Lady Reading Hospital has been increased from Rs7 million to Rs 30 million,” he added.

However, he urged doctors to be sympathetic to patients, because they feel better when they see a doctor smiling.