Call for promoting medical research to improve healthcare standards

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has expressed optimism about the future of medical journalism in Pakistan, emphasizing that promoting quality medical research is vital for improving healthcare standards.

“Medical journalism plays a significant role in health policy-making, but Pakistani medical journals are struggling with issues related to research quality,” the minister said, while speaking at the inaugural session of the 6th National Conference of the Pakistan Association of Medical Editors, held at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Monday.

Khawaja Salman stressed the need for ensuring transparency in published research to enhance the credibility of journals at international level. Among others, the UHS vice-chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Fatima Jinnah Medical University vice-chancellor Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal, King Edward Medical University vice-chancellor Prof. Mahmood Ayaz, UHS pro-vice-chancellor and conference organizing committee chairperson Prof. Nadia Naseem, WHO representative Dr. Naveed Asghar, PAME President Prof. S.H. Waqar and others were present.

Lifetime achievement awards were presented to Prof. Muhammad Aslam, Prof. Fatima Jawad, and Shaukat Ali Jawaid in recognition of their outstanding contributions to medical editing.

Addressing the conference, UHS VC Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore announced the establishment of a separate department for medical journalism at the university, with medical research writing now included in postgraduate courses. He highlighted that 176 institutions affiliated with UHS have the capacity to publish hundreds of research papers annually.

Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal described quality as a continuous process and stated that while artificial intelligence cannot replace doctors, future success will belong to those who can effectively utilize this technology.

King Edward Medical University VC Prof. Mahmood Ayaz emphasized that the benefits of medical research should reach the public. He pointed out that merely publishing research papers is not enough; data accuracy and utility are also crucial. He revealed that his university's medical journal recently achieved an impact factor after 39 years.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024