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An
international workshop for tuberculosis training in medical schools
in Karachi recommended major changes in the existing curriculum
on tuberculosis (TB), in order to fight
the single largest infectious killer of the world.
The workshop
was organised by International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD) in collaboration with Aga
Khan University (AKU) and National TB Control Program of Pakistan.
Delegates from Sudan, Mongolia,
Indonesia,
Philippines, Thailand, Malawi,
France and Spain, and participants from various medical colleges and
universities of Pakistan,
attended the workshop.
Professor
Donald Enarson, Director Scientific Activities, IUATLD in his opening
remarks mentioned that research from various parts of the world
on medical graduates' knowledge of TB and its management, clearly
showed that doctors graduating from medical schools are not fully
equipped to tackle TB as a major public health problem of the world
which is killing three million people every year across the globe.
Professor Javaid A. Khan, Professor and Consultant
Chest Physician at AKU, quoting research conducted by the University
and Pakistan Chest Society, said that of the 460 fresh medical graduates
surveyed in various parts of Pakistan, only 5% of the doct ors
were able to write a correct prescription for a TB patient. Most
doctors were even unaware of the National TB Control Guidelines.
Professor
Nadia Aït-Khaled of IUATLD in her presentation said t hat Directly
Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) strategy of TB control must
be taught in the medical school. "Most western text books that
our stude nts refer to in high burden TB countries do not teach
the student the methods f or TB control in the communities," she added. She also stressed the need for including National TB
Guidelines in the existing curriculum on TB.
Dr.
Karam Shah of National TB Control Program (NTP)
said that not only was there a need to improve the training of medical
students, it was also necessary to ensure that doctors were provided
regular training on TB through Continuing Medical Education even
after their graduation. Quoting examples from the research NTP
conducted on GPs in Rawalpindi, he said that most doctors
were diagnosing TB on new laboratory tests which have flooded the
Pakistani market but have no proven value. He stressed the need
for teaching medical students on sputum microscopy for identifying
TB germs. Dr. Nadeem Anwer, General Secretary, Pakistan Chest Society, urged the Pakistan Medical and
Dental Council (PMDC) to include TB as a major subject for teaching
in all medical colleges and universities of Pakistan.
The workshop
participants from various countries agreed to work with their respective
National TB Control Program and do further surveys in order to see
the gaps in the training of our doctors. They also recommended that
all teaching hospitals of the country should form a taskforce consisting
of microbiologists, professors of medicine, respiratory physicians,
pathologists, pharmacists and representatives from TB Control Program
in order to suggest changes for improving the existing curriculum
on TB for the medical students in the country.
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