|
“Most
of surgical conditions of childhood are different from those in adulthood
and are thus approached from a different viewpoint,” informed
by Dr Zafar Nazir, Associate Professor, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
and Head of Paediatric Surgery at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).
Speaking on surgical problems in children on December 15, 2006 in
Hyderabad, Dr Nazir explained that children’s response to illness
and their disease pattern is unique and different from those of adults.
Dr Muhammad Arif Mateen Khan, Associate Professor and Consultant
Paediatric Surgeon at AKUH, who spoke on ‘Causes of Acute Abdominal Pain
in Children’ said that abdominal pain is a common problem in children,
and highlighted its age-related causes, such as constipation, appendicitis,
etc. He explained that overeating is the most common cause of abdominal pain
and said that the situation is worse in rural areas, as health facilities are
not easily accessible, which delays treatment. Dr Mateen emphasised that in
case of symptoms such as persistent restlessness, paleness, inability to stand
or walk, fresh blood in stools or dehydration, the child should immediately
be taken to a doctor.
In another lecture at Clifton Medical Services, Karachi, Dr
Fauzia Haq Nawaz, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at AKUH, said that
“Infertility is a distressing problem which affects 15-20 per cent of
couples worldwide; 40 per cent of the causes are related to the female partner,
while 35 per cent are related to the male”. In her presentation on ‘Female
Infertility – Recent Advancements in Management’, Dr Nawaz highlighted
the prerequisites for fertility such as age of the female partner which is a
major determinant of success, good quality of semen, regular ovulation, normal
patent fallopian tubes and regular uterine cavity. Evaluation includes history
taking, an examination and investigations and stressed on the need for evaluation
of both partners simultaneously before commencing treatment. Dr Nawaz emphasised
that couples also need support, reassurance and detailed counselling, as infertility
is not only a physical problem but also a major psychosocial one.
Dr Nadeem Zuberi, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
at AKUH, speaking on ‘Laparoscopic or ‘Key-hole’
Surgery for Common Gynaecological Problems’, clarified the
process of laparoscopy and said that nearly all the gynaecological
procedures can be performed laparoscopically.
As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment
to create awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH
has organised over 200 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care’ programmes
in Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta and the UAE, benefiting more than
40,000 people. Similarly, AKUH’s Patient Welfare Programme
offers financial assistance to those patients who are unable to
afford the medical cost of treatment. In 2005, 74 per cent of all
patients treated at AKUH were from low- to middle-income groups.
Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs 1.4
billion has been disbursed to more than 250,000 needy patients.
|
