Need to end gender discrimination stressed

LAHORE : Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said to ensure equal rights of women, ‘our mothers have to take initiative from their homes.’

They should teach, treat and raise their sons and daughters equally from their childhood, she added while speaking at a function organised by Pakistan Medical Association Lahore to mark International Women’s Day and Pakistan Day.

Prof Ashraf Nizami, President PMA Lahore, in his welcome address stressed the need for further strengthening and simplifying the law on women’s inheritance. He said, “We need to end gender discrimination from our society. The gap between men and women must be bridged forever for the progress of the society.”

The event was attended by a large number of working women representing various walks of life.

The minister distributed honorary shields to prominent women. Vice president, PMA Lahore, Dr Iram Shehzadi, joint secretary Dr Bushra Haq, Prof. Mah Laqa Maqsood, president working women’s organization Aima Mahmood, Syeda Ghulam Fatima and Dr Sadaf were present.

Services Hospital Chief Nursing Superintendent Kausar Taslim, former SP Police Shaista, Police Inspector Nada Ashfaq and Huma from London addressed the event. Dr Jawad Fatima, editor-in-chief of PMA journal JPMA, was declared the woman of the year by the Pakistan Medical Association and a lifetime achievement award was announced in recognition of her services.

Dept of Clinical Research to be set up in UHS: The University of Health Sciences (UHS) Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram has said that the country’s first Department of Clinical Research will be established in the varsity and a six-month certificate course will be launched in May for medics and other health professionals.

The conference is being organised in collaboration with the University of Grenada (Granada) Spain, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine (PSIM), and University of Child Health Lahore. Leading researchers from Spain, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan are participating in the moot.

Professor Javed Akram said that if the benefit of research could not reach the people then it is useless. He said that the credit for promoting clinical research in Pakistan goes to the Supreme Court of Pakistan which took notice in 2017 of the non-commercialization of the artificial human skin prepared by a team of scientists under his supervision. He further said that there are 370 biotechnology plants in India while there is not a single one in Pakistan.

The UHS vice-chancellor said he had to appear several times before the officials of the NAB and FIA for making low-cost interferon injections to treat hepatitis B and C, but later those agencies praised his efforts.

Drawing attention to the lack of quality medical publications in the country, Prof Javed Akram said that despite being one of the largest countries in the world Pakistan had only three impact factor medical journals.

The DRAP CEO Asim Rauf, CEO said the authority was on the way to becoming a world-class regulatory organization at par with international standards and best practices, through effective e-governance, better management strategies for implementation of regulations and their enforcement throughout the country. He added that minimum clinical research standards had been set and would not be compromised at any cost.

NIH Executive Director Major General (retd) Prof. Aamer Ikram in his online address said that the foundation of clinical trials had been laid in the country and now a building could be constructed on it. He acknowledged that medical journalism and research writing were very important areas in which UHS was leading the way.

Prof. Aamer Ikram said that with the efforts of Prof. Javed Akram, a comprehensive policy regarding stem cell therapy was being formulated in the country.

Conference Secretary Dr. Shehnoor Azhar, Dr. Masud ur Rehman, Dr. Ume Sughra, and Dr. Summaya Azam also spoke on the occasion.