Karachi to host Saarc ENT Congress after 12-year gap


IV Report

KARACHI: The capital of Sindh, Pakistan, is hosting the Saarc ENT Congress from December 6 to 8 at a local hotel, featuring subject experts from the Saarc region and beyond. The theme of the congress is "Harmonising ORL (Otolaryngology), Head and Neck Expertise Amongst Saarc Countries."

The three-day event will witness scientific programmes aimed at providing a platform to exchange latest ideas on the most topical trends in ENT management. Karachi hosted the 8th Saarc ENT congress series in 2013.

Prof Iqbal A Muhammad Khyani, chairman of the 13th congress organising committee, anticipates a vibrant gathering of professionals from the Saarc region and outside. The mega event will comprise pre and post-conference workshops, plenary sessions, invited talks, state-of-the-art lectures, instructional sessions, panel discussions, free papers, digital poster competition, pharmaceutical exhibition, award of CME hours, and social programme.

Prof Khyani, also the vice president of the Saarc Association of Otolaryngologists (SAL), expects delegates from the UK, USA, Canada, Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other SAARC member countries to attend the conference.

The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (Saarc) is a geopolitical union of countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Eminent ENT surgeons from the region established the ‘Saarc Association of Otolaryngologists’ in 1997 to create a platform to share knowledge and experience of common diseases prevailing in geographically similar countries.

Prof Sameer Qureshy, General Secretary of the Saarc ENT Head and Neck Surgery Conference, says the conference presents an exceptional opportunity for professionals to share knowledge, insights, and engage in discussions surrounding regional epidemiology. Noted faculty members will conduct cadaver dissections.

Dr Ahmed Nawaz, chairman of the scientific committee, says the field of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery has evolved, pushing boundaries in various subspecialties. The conference will cover topics including rhinology, rhinoplasty, anterior skull base otology, cochlear implants, and lateral skull base head and neck surgery.

Post-conference workshops, scheduled for December 9, include Rhinoplasty hands-on workshop at Patel Hospital, Endoscopic ear surgery hands-on workshop at JPMC, JSMU, Vertigo and balance disorders workshop at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, and Laryngotracheal reconstruction and phono surgery hands-on workshop at Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College, PAF.

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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