ISLAMABAD: The OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Comstech) in collaboration with Pakistan Nuclear Society (PNS) and Pakistan Society of Nuclear Medicine (PSNM) has planned to arrange a two-day international workshop on ‘Advances in Nuclear Medicine and its Applications’ from September 19-20.

International and local experts of nuclear medicine and its applications will present lectures during the workshop while local faculty and researchers will share their research findings as contributed talks.

Clinical practitioners, oncologists, researchers and students in nuclear medicine and medical technologists will attend the event which will be in hybrid mode.

The themes of the workshop would be on the changing horizons of nuclear medicine, incorporating the translation of basic laboratory research to clinical practice, establishment of clinical and technical standards, and the translation of molecular technological advances in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine.

Nuclear technology has transformed health sector by advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for non-communicable pathology. Hybrid imaging, especially PET-CT has altogether changed the diagnostic horizon, especially in the management of cancer patients. However, not only Pakistan but most of the OIC countries are still lagging behind in hybrid imaging facilities, especially PET-CT imaging.

The indispensable role of PET-CT and hybrid imaging needs to be highlighted for the benefit of various stakeholders and patients.

Furthermore, the emergent role of advanced radionuclide therapies using alpha and beta emitters has given new insights in cancer treatment paradigms. These rapid advancements in the field of nuclear medicine warrant continual education of referring physicians, oncologists, nuclear physicians, medical physicists and technologists from OIC countries.

The organising committee of the event comprises Comstech adviser Prof Dr S. Khurshid Hasanain, PNS President Dr Tahir Khaleeq, PNS Vice-President Waqar Ahmad Butt and Senior Director HR and Administration Comstech Aftab Hussain Zaidi, General Manager Hospitality Naveed Aamer, Senior Manager IT Usman Quddus Malik, Programme Officer Umer Ali and Media Coordinator Shabbir Hussain.

While the technical committee included Director Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Dr Shazia Fatima, Karachi President PSNM Dr Mohammad Adnan Saeed, Head Nuclear Medicine Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute Islamabad Dr Mohammad Babar Imran, Director Punjab Institute of Nuclear Medicine Faisalabad and Dr Arzoo Fatima, Head Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Lahore (INMOL) Lahore.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2023