Abdus Salam Khan, MD FACP – December, 2016
Emergency Medicine has evolved in Pakistan to the level that we have attracted the attention of the international community of emergency physicians. The hard work of the team in Pakistan and of those physicians who went abroad and worked outside thus showing the caliber in the training, resulted in bringing Pakistan in to the attention of the world.
Our Pakistan trained Emergency Medicine residents and the emergency doctors are working in many parts of the world including Australia, Middle East, Ireland and England.
Although we had a late start but it is my observation that we started with good preparation and well thought out program which gathered dedicated teachers and supervisors who created finest doctors in Emergency Medicine and the list is growing.
President Royal College of Emergency Medicine Dr. Taj Hassan has been in contact with us for quite some time. This time Dr. Taj Hassan decided to come to Pakistan with hopes to work with different entities to promote Emergency Medicine in Pakistan and to work with them in different ways.
His visit to Shifa International Hospital was short and sweet. The meeting was on 12 December 2016 in the conference room of Shifa Emergency Department. It was attended by majority of residents and the consultants.
Dr. Hussain Ahmed, PGY3 give presentation about the Emergency Medicine in Pakistan and the residency program of CPSP. After that Dr. Taj Hassan talked about different ways of collaboration that he had in mind. The crux of his talk revolved around providing terminal benefit to Pakistan through education and clinical collaboration and providing help by short-term visit of emergency physicians from UK.
Dr. Taj Hassan was also keen in creating local educational hub in Pakistan which should cater to local area physicians and collaborate with Royal College in developing and running the hub. The creation of clinical educational hub is in developmental stage but seemed like a very good program for physicians in Pakistan because of low resources and not enough local trainers available in Pakistan.
He praised the enthusiasm of the team at Shifa and said that he has made several trips to Islamabad and with each visit he sees for the new development and better program and it makes him feel good about the emergency medicine in Pakistan. He said that he is willing to extend full support in all the ways that are available and would like for the program in Shifa to excel and be center of the hub.
He was then given a tour of the new area of emergency department and shown the construction which will soon be part of the normal emergency department. Dr. Taj Hassan was also busy during this visit meeting with the higher officials of Pakistan in the health sector and it was his hope to make collaborations with the other institutions and entities of Pakistan besides Shifa International.
The team at Shifa was very receptive of all the ideas and was willing to work with the Emergency Medicine colleagues of U.K. to promote the field in Pakistan and provide the work force for all the emergency departments across Pakistan. Every one seems to have realized that it is a team effort and will only succeed if we all work together.
I can be reached at askhan65@yahoo.com.