Karachi: The four-day pediatric urology conference lauded the initiatives taken by SIUT (Sind Institute of Urology and Transplantation) in attending to multiple issues and children’s healthcare in the country.
The four-day conference-cum-workshop was jointly hosted by SIUT and APAPU (Asia Pacific Association of Pediatric Urologists) and attended by some three hundred urologists, including forty from overseas.
The conference was bifurcated into two parts. The opening two days were dedicated to screenings of live surgeries, which were followed by discussion amongst the participants. The remaining two days of the conference focused on research papers were based on exchanging experiences which had from their respective countries. Some vital health issues of children in developing countries, including mortality and disability, were discussed in depth.
The highlight of the surgeries that were performed was peculiar, as in three surgical theatres functioned simultaneously.
Renowned surgeons who performed procedures included Professor Philip Ransley from UK, Professor Mark David Leclair from France, Mazen Zeino from Switzerland. Professor Alaa El Ghonemi an Egyptian, but is now a naturalized French surgeon beside prominent citizen Hameed Haroon who has been engaged in various projects of SIUT.
Taking part in the discussion the speakers prioritized the prevailing ailments when they discussed the initiative to reduce mortality and poor growth of children in developing countries. They highlighted the indicators for poor health among children in Pakistan and suggested the need for a holistic approach which included cure and prevention as foremost.
Hameed Haroon underlined the need of creating a livable environment among the 45 per cent children particularly the disadvantage segment which hugely covers the female children living in remote areas. These areas lack many amenities, but health occupies at the top of the list. On this occasion Professor Sajid Sultan Head of the SIUT Paeds Unit presented the history of his department.
Speakers paid tributes to Prof Adib Rizvi founder Director of SIUT who has gone extra mile to setup a Paedtric surgery unit in his institution and achieved series of milestones. The speakers while paying tributes to Prof Rizvi in 30 years of journey children were treated under the auspices of SIUT philosophy that all treatment is given free of cost with no discrimination of cast, color or creed.
