LAHORE, Dec 16: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool opened the Saarc ENT congress here on Monday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day congress, the governor said the region had peculiar problems because of polluted drinking water in most cases, inadequate sewerage system, air and noise pollution besides limited resources.

He said ear, nose and throat diseases as well as throat cancer were on the rise.

He said the country had the indigenous health system and standard medical practices, and stressed that preventive aspect of diseases should also be kept in mind.

He said the Punjab government had made significant headway in immunization programme against deadly diseases.

The governor said the next target before the government was provision of clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities.

Earlier, congress organizing secretary Dr Nasrullah Rana said ENT specialists received maximum number of patients as they were around 25 per cent of all patients who visited doctors.

He said the speciality of Oto-Laryngology and head and neck surgery was both a medical and surgical discipline. Many patients referred to Oto-Laryngologist required a diagnostic evaluation and in most practices more than 20 per cent eventually required surgery.

“It is this blend of medicine and surgery in patients of all ages that makes the practice of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and head and neck surgery so rewarding,” he said.

Despite the fact that this was a speciality of special senses, he said it was unfortunate that in spite of its importance it was not given due attention and in most of the centres, even abroad, little time was given for training at undergraduate level.

Congress president Prof M. Jalisi said the ENT speciality was lacking latest equipment and funds in the country. The conference should continue to be held to update and enhance the knowledge of ENT specialists.

World ENT Association secretary-general John Grote; Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, ENT department head Prof M. Alauddin; People’s Medical College for Girls, Nawabshah, principal Prof Azam H. Yousifani; and congress scientific committee chairman Prof Dr Zahid Ameer also spoke on the occasion.