RAWALPINDI: President Dr Arif Alvi has urged Pakistani doctors abroad to arrange online lectures for local physicians so they would be trained further.

Addressing the 5th international scientific conference at Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU), the president said there was a need to further improve the ties between doctors and patients.

He stressed the need to promote precautionary measures among people to prevent diseases. The culture of unnecessary use of antibiotics should be changed. He asked the doctors to create awareness among mothers about breast feeding, adding the use of infant formula milk should be discouraged.

He said diseases like hepatitis, which spread due to irresponsible behaviour, could be controlled through precautionary measures. An estimated 9pc of Pakistan’s population is infected with hepatitis, he said.

He expressed the hope that Pakistan would succeed in eradicating polio. Despite problems like illiteracy, people followed SOPs and took precautionary measures against Covid-19 and in this regard ulema, doctors and others played their role, he said.

Dr Alvi said instead of treating every disease from the point of view of treatment, doctors should advise people to adopt precautionary measures, and lead the campaign against malnutrition and obesity.

“We should move towards long-term methods to tackle the problem of population growth,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, RMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Umer said the conference was held in collaboration with the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America, Association of Pakistani Physicians of North Europe, the RMU Alumni UK, Australia, New Zealand and UAE and the National Alumni of RMU.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2021