Pak Orthocon 2011: Patients suffering at the hands of substandard equipment, say experts
There is one orthopaedic surgeon in Pakistan for every 180,000 people.
ISLAMABAD:
There is a shortage of orthopaedic surgeons in Pakistan. Moreover, patients suffer due to the use of locally-produced substandard equipment.
This was shared at the inaugural session of a four-day 25th International Pak Orthocon 2011 held here at a local hotel on Friday. The conference is being organised by the Pakistan Orthopaedic Association (POA).
Senior consultant at Shifa International Hospital and Chairman Organizing Committee Dr Khalid Saleem Aslam termed the use of substandard equipment “unfortunate”, saying surgeons in Pakistan have no option but to use them. He said 511 orthopaedic surgeons are members of the POA, and estimated that there are about 1,000 orthopaedic surgeons in Pakistan, meaning there is one doctor for every 180,000 people.
He said that the prevailing situation in the country has made it very difficult for the orthopaedic surgeons and students to travel abroad for training due to hardships in obtaining visas for some countries.
Consultant Surgeon Orthopaedic Department at Polyclinic Hospital Dr Altaf Hussain said currently no statistics are available on people in Pakistan suffering from bone disorders. “However it is estimated that there is at least one arthritis patient in every household.”
President POA Professor Nusrat Ali, addressing the conference, said there is a huge difference between Pakistan and the USA in terms of treatment facilities in orthopaedics. “We are lacking in logistics, our resources are limited due to financial constrains and we are not getting any support from the government,” he added.
Dr Franklin Sim, an orthopaedic surgeon from the USA, had a different opinion. “Orthopaedic cases [in Pakistan] are being handled tremendously through team approach,” he said. Sim added the conference helped in exchanging information and innovative ideas at national and international levels.
Orthopaedic surgeons from the USA, UK, Nepal, Turkey, and Indonesia, including local surgeons and medical students from across the country are participating in the conference. The conference is arranged every year, hosting local and international orthopaedic surgeons. It aims to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas experiences, research, and new technologies for treatment. Families of the participants were also present in the inaugural ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.
There is a shortage of orthopaedic surgeons in Pakistan. Moreover, patients suffer due to the use of locally-produced substandard equipment.
This was shared at the inaugural session of a four-day 25th International Pak Orthocon 2011 held here at a local hotel on Friday. The conference is being organised by the Pakistan Orthopaedic Association (POA).
Senior consultant at Shifa International Hospital and Chairman Organizing Committee Dr Khalid Saleem Aslam termed the use of substandard equipment “unfortunate”, saying surgeons in Pakistan have no option but to use them. He said 511 orthopaedic surgeons are members of the POA, and estimated that there are about 1,000 orthopaedic surgeons in Pakistan, meaning there is one doctor for every 180,000 people.
He said that the prevailing situation in the country has made it very difficult for the orthopaedic surgeons and students to travel abroad for training due to hardships in obtaining visas for some countries.
Consultant Surgeon Orthopaedic Department at Polyclinic Hospital Dr Altaf Hussain said currently no statistics are available on people in Pakistan suffering from bone disorders. “However it is estimated that there is at least one arthritis patient in every household.”
President POA Professor Nusrat Ali, addressing the conference, said there is a huge difference between Pakistan and the USA in terms of treatment facilities in orthopaedics. “We are lacking in logistics, our resources are limited due to financial constrains and we are not getting any support from the government,” he added.
Dr Franklin Sim, an orthopaedic surgeon from the USA, had a different opinion. “Orthopaedic cases [in Pakistan] are being handled tremendously through team approach,” he said. Sim added the conference helped in exchanging information and innovative ideas at national and international levels.
Orthopaedic surgeons from the USA, UK, Nepal, Turkey, and Indonesia, including local surgeons and medical students from across the country are participating in the conference. The conference is arranged every year, hosting local and international orthopaedic surgeons. It aims to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas experiences, research, and new technologies for treatment. Families of the participants were also present in the inaugural ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.