PESHAWAR, Feb 2: Doctors have been urged to specialise in plastic surgery and to conduct research on local health problems for better government planning.

“Doctors have stopped carrying out research, which is hampering advancement in medical sciences,” said Health Secretary Abdul Samad Khan.

He was addressing the 12th annual international conference jointly organised by the Pakistan Association of Plastic Surgeons and Pakistan Society for Surgery of Hand at the Khyber Medical College on Friday.

Highlighting the importance of research, he stressed the need for upgrading plastic and reconstructive surgery and said it was needed because of the increasing number of traffic accidents and bomb blasts in the country. Most of the injured people required reconstructive surgery, he added.

Earlier, Dr Mohammad Tahir, head of the plastic surgery ward at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, said that the event was aimed at raising doctors’ awareness about latest developments in plastic surgery.

He said that the unit had been providing services for the past 10 years. Apart from research activities, the unit was also contributing to human resource development, he added.

Experts presented their research papers in the scientific session of the conference besides highlighting the need for adopting latest trends in the field. The development of a standard plastic surgery protocol was also discussed.

President of the Pakistan Society of Plastic Surgeons Prof Fakhar Al Khairy said that currently there were only 70 plastic surgeons in the entire country, which was insufficient to cater to people’s needs.

NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan, who was the chief guest, termed reconstructive surgery a blessing for disfigured persons and said steps were being taken to set up fully-fledged burn and plastic surgery units in teaching hospitals.

The minister underlined the need for developing the specialty to meet the growing demands of re-constructive surgery.

Mr Khan said that staff would soon be appointed for the newly-established 20-bed burn and plastic surgery unit at the Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex.

He said that the government was allocating extra funds, which it considered investment; for the health sector. “Specialised hospitals are being set up and large projects are being undertaken in the teaching hospitals,” he maintained.