August 19, 2006	Saturday	Rajab 23, 1427

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LAHORE, Aug 18: Governor Khalid Maqbool has said that solution of health problems of masses was a bigger challenge than the provision of civic amenities and poverty alleviation.

Inaugurating a two-day workshop on ‘Research Methodology’ at the King Edward Medical College University here on Friday, he said 25 per cent population of the country was suffering from different kinds of diseases and required treatment in hospitals.

Medical experts should undertake research on the easygoing living style and dietary habits of the people and propose practicable measures for prevention of diseases, he added.

Governor Maqbool said the medical institutions in the country had produced extraordinary physicians and exemplary surgeons at the postgraduate level.

He said examining the side effects of different kinds of medicines on animals in laboratories had not remained attractive for physicians any more but production of scientists for research on the healing effects of indigenous herbs and finding treatment for the diseases specific to the local environment was a national requirement.

The government was examining the feasibility of creation of a separate cadre of pure research scholars in medical universities who would not be burdened with teaching responsibilities. The government had not only brought the medical curriculum in conformity with the latest requirements but had also included bio-statistics, molecular biology, mathematics and behavioural science in the MBBS syllabus. Similarly, a new discipline of bio-medical engineering had been included at the postgraduate level. Research in medical universities and hospitals should be coordinated for use for the benefit of the common man, he continued.

KEMCU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mumtaz Hasan said the university had agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistan Medical Research Council for the establishment of a TB research centre at the Mayo Hospital.

Pakistan Medical Research Council executive director Dr Huma Qureshi said the council planned to set up 18 research centres in medical colleges in the country. Five of the research centres would be specialised.

She said a gastroenterology and hepatology centre was being established at the Jinnah Postgraduate Centre, Karachi, a child health research centre at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, an infectious diseases research centre at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, a drug research centre at the Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, and a metabolic diseases research centre at the Sheikh Zayed Medical Complex, Lahore.

KEMCU pro-vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Awais, North America Pakistani Doctors Organisation president Dr Mubashar Rana and KEMCU chest diseases department Dr Shamshad Rasool Awan spoke about the research activities of Pakistani doctors.