Medical corridor: Pakistan-China medical congress to kick off on Jan 8

Event will provide an opportunity to share research, techniques and treat patients of both countries

KARACHI: The first ever three-day Pak-China Medical Congress (Medcong) is being organised by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) in collaboration with the China Medical Association (CMA) from January 8.

Around 1,000 delegates, including foreign medical experts, are expected to attend the event. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will also be signed by the PMA and CMA during the congress. "This MoU [has been signed] to make both the organisations work together in the future," said Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, secretary of the organising committee.

Addressing the press briefing, Dr Azhar said that the congress will open new opportunities for medical students as well as pharmaceutical companies. "It will also open new doors for patients of both the countries," he added. He said that public awareness sessions on the issues of trauma and management, breast cancer, infertility, bones and blood diseases in children will be started from Saturday at the PMA House.





Prof Tipu Sultan, chairperson of the organising committee, said that pre-congress workshops and seminars will start from Friday at various institutes of the city. He added that the MPA and CMA have decided to organise similar congresses every two years. Next time, the conference will be held in China after two years, he added.

"This is first time that such a huge event of international significance is being organised by the PMA, which will be a new bond of relations between the two nations. This will pave the way for a medical corridor between Pakistan and China," Prof Sultan said. A special delegation of 44 members from the Chinese medical fraternity is attending this congress, including CMA vice president and secretary general Dr Keqin Rao, deputy secretary general Dr Lingo Lu, deputy director of the department of international relations Qing Long Meng and project manager Weili Zhao. Other foreign delegates from Sri Lanka, England and United Arab Emirates will also attend, the MPA officials said.

PMA Centre's finance secretary, Dr Qaiser Sajjad, said that after the establishment of the medical corridor with China, underprivileged Pakistani patients will reap the benefits. "Treatment of various diseases such as liver transplantation is lower in China as compared to India. There are many other mutual opportunities in the field of medical education and research for both countries," he explained. "There is a huge market in China for Pakistani surgical items," added Dr Sajjad.

PMA Karachi President Dr Shaukat Malik said that almost 90 per cent of instruments and machines used in operation theatres of public and private sector hospitals in Pakistan are made in China. "Traditional Chinese medicine can also be very useful for the treatment of various diseases here in Pakistan as many such treatments are now scientifically being proven efficient," he added.

The PMA office bearers said that around 100 doctors have been registered for the congress, which is expected to go up to 1,000 delegates.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2015.