LAHORE - The 4-day International Gastroenterology and GI Endoscopy Conference concluded at a local hotel on Sunday in which 1500 doctors from across the country and abroad including 100 delegates from Afghanistan participated. As many as 20 foreign doctors read out papers.
Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Punjab’s Special Assistant Kh Salman Rafique said that the real focus should be on the prevention of diseases because if the number of patients continued to increase, the hospitals would not be able to cater the treatment needs.  He said the increasing rate of hepatitis was due to public unawareness. He said the government has been conducting campaigns through the media and by involving the civil society.
He claimed the government saved Rs500 million by carrying out successful campaign against dengue last year. He said that like dengue, a hepatitis B and C should also be included in the syllabus of schools for creating awareness.
He said that at community level, “mohalla health committees” should also promote awareness at grass root level. He stressed the need of strict implementation of hospital waste management laws for the control of hepatitis C.
He lauded the efforts of Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology and GI Endoscopy for the prevention of hepatitis. Organizing secretary of the conference Associate Prof Israr-ul-Haq Toor apprised the media of four days activities of the international conference. He said that a large number of doctors from abroad attended the conference which included 100 doctors from Afghanistan. He said that these delegates went back to their countries with pleasant memories. Prof Ghias-un-Nabi Tayyeb and Dr Shamayel Zafar also spoke on the occasion.
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Briefing the media at the PMA House on Sunday, Dr Ashraf Nizami said councilors from across the province participated in the meeting.
He said the sitting condemned the murder of Prof Ali Haider and his son and appreciated the government for giving Rs five million compensation to the aggrieved family and job to the widow.
He also criticised the government for transfer of medical teachers from colleges to newly established institutions, saying it was just like making a new institution by damaging established ones. He also condemned evening classes at Chandka Medical College as according to him it would destroy the standards of medical education.