Daily Times

LAHORE – Punjab Higher Education Commission’s Chairman Prof Dr Nizamuddin has said that current research in health sciences is not targeted at the issues which need to be addressed in Pakistan.

“Best results is healthcare can be achieved if we bring together researchers and policymakers so that research is based on need and policies are based on evidence,” he said at the inaugural ceremony of a three-day conference of the Pakistan Association of Medical Editors (PAME) here at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Friday.

– Special editorial teams for medical journals –

He said that there was a dearth of research in medical education especially at undergraduate level. “Most medical colleges have their own journals but the standard of papers published in these journals is not up to the mark.” He said that special editorial teams should be set up and symposia, seminars and workshops should be arranged for them.

Dr Nizam was of the opinion that area of public health was being criminally neglected. “One or two public health institutes would not serve the purpose. We need more institutes with social scientists working there in close collaboration with health professionals,” he maintained. Pakistan with a population of 200 million people had a huge data which was not being explored for the benefit of public at large, he said.

He urged the university to come up with research projects especially focusing public health and community medicine for which, he assured funds would be provided by the commission. Association’s President Dr Fatema Jawad said that one of the aims of the association was to improve editorial standards and promote professionalism in medical editing through education, self-criticism and self-guidance. She said that awareness in clinical research was growing and it was being carried out in all medical institutions.

“Number of scientific publications has increased four-folds. However, there is still a question mark on the standards of medical publications in the country”, she said adding that out of 51 medical journals being published in the country, only three were recognised internationally for last three decades or so. Dr Fatema was of the view that Pakistan Medical and Dental Council could play a role in raising the standards of medical publications. She paid rich tribute of PAME’s first president Dr Maqbool Jafary (late).

UHS Vice Chancellor Major General (retired) Professor Muhammad Aslam said that medical journals could contribute to knowledge by publishing quality research and ensuring that a peer review process was in place. “It must also be ensured that journals are published regularly and reach out to readers through editorials, education, evidence based medicine and community medicine”, he opined.

He said that the conference presented an opportunity to show the vital importance of journals for the dissemination of health research and for the attainment of better healthcare for all.

EMAME Secretary General and chief organiser of the conference, Shaukat Ali Jawaid said that the conference aimed at promoting collaboration and exchange among editors, authors, researchers and publishers of medical journals and upgrading the quality of scholarly publications in medicine and health sciences in country.

The theme of 3-day conference, which is being organised in collaboration with Eastern Mediterranean Association of Medical Editors (EMAME) and Health Research Advisory Board, is “Professionalism and Medical Journal Editors”. The conference is targeted at editors, editorial staff, reviewers and referees of biomedical journals besides academicians and medical writers.

The scientific programme includes keynote lectures, seminar, panel discussions and five workshops on medical writing, publication ethic, editorship, incorporating technology into medical journalism and peer review for editors, reviewers and authors.