KARACHI: Clinical research vital for better patient care: experts
KARACHI, Sept 21: Doctors underlined the need for streamlining clinical research in Pakistan to improve patient care.
They were addressing a workshop on ‘Research potential in developing countries with focus on maternal and child health’ at the Dow University on Thursday. The programme was organised by the DUHS’ Professional Development Centre.
Alabama University’s Prof Robert Goldenberg said that research needed proper funding, which were often difficult to be generated.
“It is thus extremely essential that a collaborative approach is adopted with necessary provision for epidemiologists and bio-statisticians,” he said, reminding his audience that his university was located in one of the poorest states in the United States.
Being actively involved in an interventional study about prevention of neo-natal deaths in Karachi, jointly undertaken by the Alabama University, Aga Khan University and the CHK-DUHS, researchers advised local experts to develop relationships that allowed them access to a large patient population.
This, he said, had helped in acquiring funds from international institutions that supported multi-national and overseas research studies.
“Since it is difficult to get grants without previous experience so build or provide access to retrospective data sets,” Dr Goldenberg emphasised.
He praised the data management skills of the professionals associated with the Aga Khan University and the Dow University of Health Sciences and hoped that the DUHS would manage to establish a sound reputation and would be able to procure international funding for international studies.
DUHS’ Vice-Chancellor Prof Masood Hameed said that the university was in the process of channelising its research activity through a strong and qualified faculty. The university, Dr Hammed said, was keen to capture the clinical research market.
“The DUHS is offering courses for clinical trial management with significant focus on how to write proposals in accordance with global requirement,” he said, adding that research and reference were also underway with 26 faculty members registered with PhD programmes.
Director of the DUHS’ research programme Dr Waqar Kazmi said that it was the first time that research methodology had been introduced from third year MBBS onwards -- with all third-year students required to submit a research proposal.
This, he said, was to expose them to the importance of research and required methodologies to pave the way for a strong research culture in the university.
Prof. D.S. Akram of the university’s pediatrics department, Prof Nusrat Khan of obstetrics and gynecology and Dr Mohammad Idrees of the community medicine department also made their presentations.
Prof Ayesha Mehnaz, Prof Ayesha Khan and Prof Mohsin Iqbal presented their research work.
Dr Goldenberg and Mrs Elizabeth, a medical researcher, also participated in the discussion.
