Turkish experts seek mutual cooperation in health sector

Turkish health professionals have underscored the need for mutual cooperation with Pakistan in health sector so as to check the burden of diseases for the benefit of the people of two brotherly countries. Cardiovascular Surgeon Professor Dr Ersin Erek and Specialized Liver Transplant Surgeon Professor Dr Remzi EMIROGLU told a group of media persons here on Sunday that Turkey has specialisation in the treatment of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and Liver and Kidney Transplantations can help Pakistani counterparts to update their knowledge for the treatment of such patients. Not only Pakistani doctors but paramedical staff may be trained in Turkey in different fields.
Professor Dr Remzi EMIROGLU said that success rate of organ transplant in Turkey is above 90% which is more than Pakistan, China and India. In Turkish, mostly the organ transplantation is being done through living donors, he said, adding, "Those require kidney and liver transplantation are getting this facility in Turkey and the patients from Pakistan, Iraq and other countries are getting this facility." He said they regularly have follow up meeting with the patients after undergoing transplantation.
Professor Dr Remzi EMIROGLU said that Pakistan lack facilities required to treat liver cancer and patients look for the option of liver transplant available in other countries. He added that Acibadem hospitals are well equipped with a state-of-the-art treatment facilities and Pakistani patients can get treatment from Turkey with great satisfaction. He said that patients with liver disease need to maintain a healthy life style along with proper timely treatment.
Professor Dr Ersin Erek, who is reputed Cardiovascular Surgeon with specialization in Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery and experience of over two decades, said that CTD is a serious problem and Turkey has an extensive experience in dealing such cardiac issues and Pakistan can benefit from Turkish health expertise.
Dr Ersin said that patients sometimes have limited knowledge and sources of treatment in Pakistan and they can avail the treatment facilities available in Turkey and other countries. He explained that treatment for heart related diseases are much more expensive in other countries as compared to Turkey where all the top of the line medical facilities are equally available for every class of society. He said congenital cardiac malformations are common in children with Down's syndrome. He said early detection and proper treatment is necessary for treatment of CTD.
Moreover, both the Turkish health professionals who belong to Turkey's Acibadem hospitals provided free consultation to Pakistani patients ailing from Cardiovascular and liver diseases. Both the doctors spent a full day with patients and provided consultation on how patients can avail better treatment options available in Turkey.
Patients were mostly satisfied with the consultation services. After meeting Professor Dr Remzi EMIROGLU, Abdul Jabbar who recently came back from Turkey after successful liver transplant said that he was quite happy to know that he can be treated and his disease is curable. He said that he chose Turkey for treatment being a brotherly country and expertise of Turkish doctors.
Another patient who needs cardiac surgery, Zareen Akhtar expressed her satisfaction saying that now she can think of living a healthier life again by getting a better treatment from Turkey. She said that Pakistan's government should focus more on providing better health facilities so that people who can not afford going abroad for treatment can also benefit from the advancements of medical science. Acibadem Hospitals Group is one of the leading institutions in Turkey with its 22 hospitals and 17 medical centres and is the world's second largest Healthcare Chain.