By Our Staff reporter
Karachi: The first-ever Pak-China Medical Congress (MEDCONG) concluded here on Sunday with a resolve that the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and Chinese Medical Association (CMA) would organize joint medical conferences, workshops and seminars to exchange experiences.
Both the organizations – PMA and CMA – which were declared as ‘sister organizations’ at the moot also decided to take measures for the enhancement of medical tourism between the two countries.
Terming the visit of CMA delegates `a milestone’ in the creation of medical corridor along with the on-going economic corridor, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said: “We can take advantage from each other’s expertise.”
Speaking to delegates of the CMA at a reception hosted by him at the CM House after the conclusion of the three-day Pakistan Medical Congress (MedCong) on Sunday, the chief minister said that China had expertise in manufacturing medicines and their raw material, while Pakistan, especially doctors, were experts in surgery.
The MedCong was organized by Pakistan Medical Association with a view to paving the way for establishing a Pak-China Medical Corridor and enhancing cooperation between the two friendly countries in the field of medicine and surgery.
The congress during its three-day deliberations convened scores of scientific sessions which were jointly addressed by Pakistani and Chinese health professionals in paediatrics, gynaecology, ophthalmology, pulmonology, hepatology, plastic surgery, infectious diseases, oncology, bio ethics, and various other fields of medicine and surgery.
A 44-member delegation representing medical fraternity from China, including the China Medical Association (CMA) vice president Dr Keqin Rao, deputy secretary-general Dr Lingo Lu, deputy director of department of international relations Qing Long Meng and project manager Weili Zhao attended in the congress. Besides, medical experts from Sri Lanka, England and the UAE also participated in the moot along with their counterparts from across Pakistan.
In his inaugural speech, former federal minister for science and technology Prof Dr Atta-ur- Rehman, talked about the growing cooperation between Pakistan and China in the fields of science and technology, especially in the fields of medicine, higher education, technology, biotechnology and research.
He apprised medical professionals about the progress made by Pakistan in the area of higher education, saying excellence in science and technology was the only way forward for achieving economic prosperity, progress and development and dignity in the world.
Speaking on the occasion, CMA’s vice president Keqin Rao said following the implementation of Pak-China Economic Corridor, the PMA and CMA had decided to work for establishing a Pak-China Medical Corridor and both the associations have initially agreed to start bilateral exchanges and cooperation in continuing medical education, patients care, academic exchanges and medical information sharing.
“We have arrived in Karachi with dozens of medical experts from China and they would start linkages with the Pakistani medical fraternity and I hope that this would be a good start in building the medical corridor between Pakistan and China,” he said.
At the outset, Mr Rao said Pakistan was a wonderful country, rich in natural resources with hardworking and talented people and having a unique cultural heritage.
“This ancient and magical land gave birth to a brilliant civilization. The Pakistani people are kind-hearted, hardworking, talented and courageous, and their spirit is persevering and unyielding,” he said while also paying tribute to Pakistani physicians and surgeons, whom he said, served the ailing humanity all over the world due to their excellence and dedication.
Lauding the people of Pakistan, Rao said after nearly 60 years of independence the government and its people had started to overcome their problems and issues with hard work. He said the country had achieved infrastructural development and improved economy with dignity and was now on the path of progress.
About the CMA, he informed it was formed in 1915 and had more than 600,000 members. The association held 200 international and local conferences and scientific sessions every year.
He hoped that the medical fraternity of both the countries would enhance their cooperation in the coming years and would help benefit the people of both countries by learning from the experiences of their medical experts and health professionals.
He said Chinese experts were making tremendous research in various fields of peaceful use of technology. He paid rich tribute to Prof Yu Wang, who performed the first synthesis of Insulin decades ago and said Chinese experts were coming up with great inventions and solutions to ease the sufferings of mankind in the fields of medicine.
Prof Tipu Sultan, Chairman of the MedCong’s organising committee, said establishment of medical corridor with China would also benefit the country's poor patients, besides it would reap maximum benefits by sharing expertise, technology and medicines for poor masses of the country.
"Treatment of various diseases, including that of liver transplants, is cost effective in China as compared to India," he said, adding tremendous opportunities exist for the medical students and researchers of the two countries once provided with a chance to work together.
Prof Tipu mentioned that there existed a huge market in China for Pakistani surgical items and that almost 90 per cent of machines used in operation theatres of public and private sector hospitals in the country are China made.
Earlier, the PMA secretary-general Dr Mirza Ali Azhar and CMA vice president Dr Keqin Rao signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), declaring PMA and CMA as “sister organizations”.