KARACHI, Dec 14: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Thursday expressed his concern over the growing vulnerability of comparatively young people to ischemic heart diseases.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day Sixth Biennial International Conference on Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, jointly organised by the National Institute of Cardiovascular diseases and the Pakistan Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon.

The chief minister said a pragmatic and two-pronged strategy was being adopted at national level to address the fast surging incidence of non-communicable ailments in the country, including ischemic heart disease.

Convener and chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, Prof Arif ur Rehman Khan, said the Pakistan Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons had set a new trend where open invitations to attend the moot was floated to cardiac/thoracic surgeons across the globe.

He said they had a pleasant response and surgeons from 17 countries -- from the UK, the USA, Germany, Turkey, Iran, Jordan, France, Egypt, Libya, Kyrgyzstan, and India -- made it the event on their own. Over 800 delegates are attending the meeting with more than 240 research papers to be presented on the occasion.—APP