Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Sunday demanded of the federal and provincial governments to establish district level trauma centres with proper facilities of dealing with emergencies caused by terrorist activities throughout the country.

Talking at a high level meeting of the PMA central counsellors from all over Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Nizami, President PMA Centre said that the PMA was greatly concerned about the recent wave of terrorism which has seen more than 100 innocent people losing their lives and over 400 getting injured in a span of one week.

“As a country, we have no plan to deal with these deadly attacks and provide a quick and effective medical emergency care to the victims of terrorism,” Dr Nizami said.

Flanked by the outgoing PMA president Dr. Azhar Khan Jadoon, Dr Ikram Ahmed Tunio, President elect PMA, Dr Shahzaman, Chairmain Pakistan Dental Association KP, Dr Talha Sherwani, Dr Saeedur Rahman and others at the Khyber Medical College (KMC) Peshawar, Dr Nizami said that the PMA was working on a three-point agenda.

“Our first and top most priority is the patient care. We have always raised our voice for the rights of the patients even before the benefits of doctors and paramedics,” the PMA President said. He added that the demand for an efficient health delivery system that has proper medical education as its essential component was the second priority of the PMA. “And our third point is to work for the rights, job security and better opportunities of doctors, nurses and other paramedic staff across Pakistan,” Dr Ashraf Nizami said.

Dr Qaiser Sajjad, General Secretary PMA informed the participants of the meeting that the PMA recently organised the Pakistan-China Medical Corridor conference in which a 34-person strong delegation of doctors participated. “After the successful organising of the conference, the PMA was invited to China where we had meetings with the China Medical Association, American Medical Association, British Medical Association, World Medical Association, Sri Lankan Medical Association and Thailand Medical Association,” Dr Qaiser added.

“A team of Chinese ophthalmologists will visit Pakistan in August this year and perform 500 retina surgeries with Pakistani surgeons in the first of many such endeavours. This will be followed by cataract surgeries by six Chinese doctors in Pakistan,” Dr Qaiser Sajjad disclosed.

Dr Ashraf Nizami added that the visit by the Chinese doctors would enhance the experience of Pakistani doctors in their respected fields. “China is the leading country in organ transplant. They have offered to take our specialists in the future and train them in organ transplant,” he said.

He added that like Chinese doctors, medical experts from other countries would also help in capacity building of Pakistani doctors. In reply to a question, Dr Nizami said that the PMA backed the provision of health delivery on permanent basis and it did not see temporary initiatives by the federal and provincial governments as a permanent solution to the prevailing health delivery system of Pakistan. “There are no guarantee incentives like Sehat Sahulat Card and health facilities offered in Punjab will not be compromised. The governments should work on permanent solutions rather than temporarily addressing grave problems in the health system,” Dr Nizami said.

The PMA President also stressed on the need of provision of job security that matches the market value of the doctors. “A doctor deserves to be paid at least Rs 200, 000 per month along with other incentives.”