KARACHI, Dec 20: Local postgraduate students and junior cardiologists, largely attended the first cardiology workshop, jointly organized by Association of Pakistani Cardiologists of North America and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases here on Monday.

Interactive sessions were witnessed during the day-long event where some 20 cardiologists representing APCNA, working in different parts of North America, discussed the updated medical technology besides fast emerging new trends and treatment modalities with regard to cardiac related ailments in the world.

A hands on training session is also scheduled for Tuesday at the NICVD, where the 20 APCNA members besides performing procedures will also examine cases referred to them for second opinion by their local counterparts and may provide needed support to patients in critical condition with limited resources.

Coordinator of the workshop, Dr Syed Zahid Jamal of NICVD expressed his gratitude to the APCNA for donating stents and balloons required for varied heart related surgical procedures which would be used in poor patients.

NICVD Director, Prof. Azhar Farooqui, said the workshop had helped the local cardiologists to acquire the updated information and technology which would help the former in better understanding the heart diseases and providing local patients with the best care.

APCNA president Javed Suleman said the association is keen to contribute towards the health care of their motherland plan to hold sessions to educate the educators as well as practicing cardiologists across the country on regular basis and the next workshop is scheduled to be held in next winter (2005) at Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

Assessing the response of the Monday workshop, the APCNA President said a mini-symposium may also be organized in Karachi next year. Dr. Zia Moiz, a senior member of APCNA, said he and his colleagues were committed to offer their services to any health care institution being run on no profit basis, at regular intervals.

The speakers at the workshop included Nadeem Afridi, Imran Afridi, Mazhar Shaikh, Syed Zahid Jamal, Zia Moiz Ahmed, Maryam Moten, Mehmood Alam, Naushad Mohydin, Syed Fazal Rahman, Javed Suleman, Nadeem Rizvi, Hasnat Shareef, Asad Pathan, Azhar Aslam, Bashir Hanif, Sohail Ikram and Masud Ahmed. -APP