SEMINAR ON LATEST ADVANCES IN TB PREVENTION TREATMENT AND QUALITY HEALTHCARE AT FJMU

A Seminar on latest advances in Tuberculosis (TB) Preventive Treatment was organized at Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU) in collaboration with Provincial TB Prevention Program and World Health Organization (WHO).

Head of Pulmonology Department Gulab Devi Hospital and eminent professor ,Prof.Dr. Zaheer Akhtar graced the occasion as Chief Guest.

Director General Health Services Punjab Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Gondal, Representative from World Health Organization Dr. Amir Safdar and Ex.Additional Secretary Health Department Dr. Salman Shahid specially attended the seminar.

Vice Chancellor FJMU Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal along with the senior faculty welcomed the Chief Guest.

Registrar FJMU Prof. Muhammad Nadeem, Deans Prof. Munazza Iqbal, Prof. Zohra Khanum, Chairperson Department of Medicine and Director QEC, Prof. Bilquis Shabbir, Associate Prof. Community Medicine Dr. Taskeen Zahra, Assistant Prof. Rheumatology Department Dr. Bilal Azeem Butt were also present in the seminar.

Prof. Bilquis Shabbir welcomed the Chief Guest and distinguished speakers. She mentioned the statistics that every day in Pakistan, we have 129 deaths due to TB.

Vice Chancellor FJMU Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal showed his gratitude to World Health Organization and Provincial TB Control Program Punjab for organizing this successful seminar. He said that TB is a very common disease in South Asia and it is considered a disease of the poor people. He said that awareness, timely diagnosis, preventive measures, timely treatment, and patient reassurance and counselling are very important things to get rid of this disease. He briefed the audience of the importance of knowing the anti TB drugs and the monitoring of treatment.He further added that though this disease can infect not only the lungs but also any part of the body, it is a 100% curable disease. He appreciated Prof. Zaheer Akhtar as an excellent doctor as well as a very good human being. He also thanked the Provincial TB Control Program Punjab and World Health Organization for organizing this wonderful and informative seminar on a topic which is the need of the day.

Program Manager Dr. Sarmad Wahaj gave a briefing on the Provincial TB Control Program Punjab and the strategy to end TB by the World Health Organization. He informed the network of 200 Gene-Xpert Machines (used for TB diagnosis) in Punjab. He informed that WHO plans 90% control of TB in Pakistan in the next 10 to 15 years.

Associate Prof. Community Medicine Dr. Taskeen Zahra highlighted the strategies and principles issued by the WHO for the eradication of TB. She further added that Pakistan ranks 5th in the prevalence of TB disease in the world. We can control this disease by providing best health facilities, research and by using modern methods of prevention.

Prof. Zaheer Akhtar gave a comprehensive briefing on TB. He said that TB is an infectious disease that is usually spread through respiratory tract. He discussed in detail about the newly recommended regimens of Antituberculous therapy for the prevention of TB. He said that for prevention total 12 doses, once a week for 3 months, can get complete relief from TB. He also informed about the side-effects and complications of TB medicine. At the end, he also presented the statistics for the last 10 years of TB patients at Gulab Devi Hospital, mentioning the paucity of data on TB Prevention Treatment.

It was proposed by Prof Bilquis Shabbir, Chairperson Medicine and Director QEC, that Fatima Jinnah Medical University along with Gulab Devi will pioneer a cohort study on prevalence of Latent TB in healthcare professionals, its treatment and followup in collaboration with Provincial TB Prevention Program as limited local research data is present at the national level in the efficacy of TB Prevention treatment . The idea was highly welcomed by the Guest team.

Program Manager Dr. Sarmad Wahaj presented the vote of thanks.The Chief Guest was presented an honorary shield.