KARACHI, March 17: The 18th Biennial Convention of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), first time in Karachi, will be held from March 21 to 22. This was announced in a joint statement made by PIMA's 18th Biennial Convention Secretary Dr Sohail Akhtar, PIMA Chairman Prof A.G. Billoo, and PIMA Karachi Secretary Dr Syed Ahmer Hamid during a news conference at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.

Over 2,000 physicians and surgeons including 400 female health experts from all over the country are expected to attend the convention. Dr Sohail said that over 150 experts would present their papers and deliver lectures during 19 sessions of the two-day convention.

He said that topics of these sessions would be cardiology, paediatrics, women health, liver diseases, neuro-psychiatry, infectious diseases, diabetes mellitus, surgical emergencies, bone and joint disorders, pulmonology. Besides, a workshop on communication skills would also be held during the convention, he added.

Dr Sohail said that the vice-chancellor of Riphah International University, Islamabad, Prof (Dr) Anees Ahmed would be the chief guest at the inaugural session on March 21. Prof Aly A. Mishal from Jordan would deliver a thematic lecture, he added.

PIMA Chairman Dr Ghaffar Billoo said that the Islamic Medical Association seeking guidance from Quraan and Sunnah had been working for professional development of doctors.

During the convention, lectures on Seerat-i-Tayyaba, preventive medicine, medical ethics and an open forum on "Health care system in Pakistan" would also be held, he said adding that these issues have not been discussed previously with respect to medical profession. -PPI