HYDERABAD, Oct 27: The Hyderabad chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association, in collaboration with students of MSc telemedicine, University of Sindh, NGO and technical group Health Soft, organized an awareness seminar on “Role of telem-edicine in disaster management” at a local hotel here the other day.

Hyderabad GOC Maj-Gen Mohammad Mustafa Khan was chief guest on the occasion.

Speakers at the seminar included Masood Pervaiz, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hyderabad, former president Emad Siddiqui, Amin Khatri, neurologist Dr Suhail, pathologist Dr Saleem Malik and lawyers, teachers and doctors.

Live tele-consultation demonstrations of tele-dermatology, tele-surgery and tele-paediatrics were shown to participants in which patients from a clinic in Latifabad got expert advice from dermatologist Dr Shaista Shah, surgeon M.H. Leghari and child specialist Dr Masud Jafri.

In his keynote address, Maj-Gen Mohammad Mustafa Khan stressed the importance of telemedicine in modern health care.

He said Indians had established seven hospitals in disaster areas in the Occupied Kashmir with telemedicine facilities.

He said such capability should be acquired by Pakistan, though some constraints are there, yet he appreciated Dr Aijaz Qadir for organizing the seminar to create awareness.

He asked the organizers to send the post seminar report to all concerned for further work.

Masood Pervaiz, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hyderabad, said that telemedicine has achieved advanced levels in developed countries.