KARACHI, Dec 22: Vice-chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences (DHUS) Prof Masood Hameed Khan has said that admissions to dental education and training programmes of Dr Ishratul Ibad Institute of Oral Health Sciences will start shortly.

He was speaking as chief guest on Friday at the “Hand-on Temporal Bone Dissection” workshop and ear surgery course, organised by the ENT and the Head and Neck Surgery Department of DUHS and the Civil Hospital Karachi. Participants of the workshop had come from across the country whereas the faculty of trainers comprised eminent ear surgeons from Pakistan, Nepal and other countries.

Dr Khan told the opening session of the workshop that interior of the old building block on the campus of the Sindh Medical College had completely been renovated as per the modern standards for the establishment of a dental college, a postgraduate training and research centre and a college of dental training.

He said that admission to the MBBS programme of the Dow International Medical College will also be offered soon while work for establishment of a library block was in progress.

The first of the series of the workshops was held in 2005. Prof Jawaid Alam of CHK acts as director of the current workshop.

Dr Khan said that deafness consequent upon discharging ears was a common community problem in developing countries. The cases which do not respond to medical treatment, particularly those having a substantial evidence of developing potential life threatening complications, warrant surgical interventions, he added.He noted that there was lack of surgical skill laboratories and training programmes for graduates and postgraduates in the country, and hoped that these workshops would go a long way in the training of graduates.

Prof Alam said that such workshops would be organised by the DHUS twice in a year. He said that arrangements were also being made to launch free mobile ear camps in remote areas of Pakistan to provide facility of ear surgery at the doorstep of poor people.

Prof Saleem Marfani, associate director of the course, and Dr Iqbal Khayani, coordinator of the workshop, also spoke at the inaugural ceremony.

ASTHMA DAY SYMPOSIUM: The Pakistan Chest Society, Sindh, is holding a symposium on asthma in connection with the National Asthma Day, being observed on December 23 at a local hotel.