KARACHI, March 18: Participants of the four-day workshop “Trends in teaching of biochemistry as basic science for medicine and dentistry” have called for regular mechanism to review medical and dental curricula taught at local training institutions. Giving their recommendations at the concluding session of the programme, sponsored by the Higher Education Commission here on Friday, the participants comprising senior teachers from different postgraduate institutions urged the HEC, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and various varsities to ensure regular updating of the curricula. They suggested that the subjects taught to students of medicine and dentistry must be designed as such that the educators concerned could provide updated information to the intending health care providers.

The former chairman of National Reconstruction Bureau, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Tanveer Hussain Naqvi, stressed need for stronger institutions with clear vision to produce quality graduates.

According to him, quality education leads to produce educated people with traits of responsibility, reliability and dependence. He said that higher education was aimed at gaining knowledge and not at training a few skills, which was basically the job of technical institutes.

“The Ummah has been suffering for many centuries because it has given up its quest for knowledge and wisdom,” the former NRB chief said with a tinge of regret. He said no progress could be made in any society without giving due significance to education and health of the masses. The workshop was organized by the biochemistry department of Liaquat College of Medicine and Dentistry in collaboration with the biochemistry department of Karachi University.

Participants of the workshop were selected from medical and dental institutions of the province. The workshop included lectures from eminent professors of biochemistry belonging to institutions scattered across the country.

Prof Kamran Aziz from King Edward Medical College, Lahore; Prof Sohail Rafi from Karachi Medical and Dental College; Prof Iffat Rasheed from Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine; Dr Javed Anwar Qureishi from NIBGE, Faisalabad; Prof S.N. Hasnain from Ziauddin Medical University, Prof Mohammad Ali University, Faisalabad; Prof Anwar Ali Siddiqui from Aga Khan University; Prof Mohammad Ishaq and Prof Masood Anwar Qureishi from Fatima Jinnah Medical College; Prof Nighat Siddiqui and Prof Aneela Jalil from Ziauddin Medical University and Dr Shamshad Zarina from Karachi University participated in the programme.

Prof Kamran Aziz presented the recommendations while Prof Mohammad Ishaq expressed hope that the recommendation would be given serious consideration by the HEC and the PMDC.

The session was also addressed by Chief Executive of Liaquat College of Medicine and Dentistry, Dr Syed Ali Farhan Razi, who assured continued cooperation with the KU and offered to host workshops on issues related to medicine and dentistry on regular basis.—APP