KARACHI, Jan 20: Experts, researchers and academicians at an international symposium on Tuesday stressed the need for enhancing research on preparation of alternative medicines (herbal remedies) and their prescription by medical practitioners and physicians.

The two-day fourth international symposium on "emerging dimensions of healthcare" was organized by the faculties of health and medical sciences, Hamdard University, Karachi, at its campus.

Dr. Anwar-ul-Hasan Gilani, Prof of Pharmacology, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, said in his presentation that herbal medicines were also sometimes called traditional or natural medicines in different cultures and civilizations.

Quoting a WHO report he said more than three-quarters of the world population relies upon traditional remedies (mainly herbs) for the healthcare of its people, and said that 80 per cent of all medicines were derived from herbs by the middle of 19th century.

"Then came a revolution, inspired by development of pharmaceutical industry, and synthetic drugs dominated, though herbal medicines have never been out of the scene", he said, adding even if you walk into any pharmacy in the West, you will find at least 25 per cent plant-derivatives.

Dr. Anwar-ul-Hasan said that current global herbal industry is over US$ 100 billions a year. Presenting his paper on "stress and its management in patients and doctors", Dr. Riaz Qureshi of the AKU said that stress which was an external demand on the adaptive capacities of mind and body, could harm any and every part of the body and system.

"Evidence-based studies in different parts of world suggested that approximately one-third of the population has stress or anxiety of different levels at any given time", he said, informing that one-third of the problems presenting to a family physician are related to anxiety, stress and depression, in spite of the presenting physical symptoms.

He further said that healthcare professionals, by the very nature of their work were prone to excessive stress. "Two studies conducted at the department of community health sciences and family medicines of AKU in the years 2002 and 2003 among family practitioners and doctors of three teaching hospitals of Karachi have highlighted this problem faced by medical profession.

Dr. Riaz Qureshi said self-awareness of this aspect among healthcare professionals was important to prevent "burn out" and ill health. Prof. Dr. Darakhshanda J. Haleem of the department of biochemistry, University of Karachi, read her paper on serotonin in adaptation to stress and Dr. Nargis Khan (Hamdard University) read her paper on "frequency of Hepatitis B and C in established cases of chronic liver disease".

Dr. Rubeena Saleem, Tabiba Halima Nazar, Dr. Seema Mumtaz and Dr. Nadim H. Khokhar and others also spoke. Earlier, Vice Chancellor Hamdard University Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Qureshi, stressed the need for a common approach by allopaths, Tabibs, and pharmacy experts, and highlighted the role being played by the Hamdard University in this regard.

He emphasized on the availability of facilities to scientists. President of the Hamdard Foundation Pakistan, Sadia Rashid and MD Hamdard Laboratories Dr. Navid-ul Zafar, spoke on various aspects of this venture, including dream of Hakim Muhammad Said who wanted a unified effort of scientists, allopaths and tabibs for benefits of mankind.

The symposium was largely attended by guests from Karachi University, the Aga Khan University, Hamdard University and various delegates from other cities.-PPI