Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique will visit Turkey next week along with a 5-member delegation to attend the opening ceremony of the Expo Medical Eurasia Fair.
The minister will also visit Yozgat City Hospital along with the delegation. With a view to enhance technical expertise and capacity building of Punjab’s health personnel, a training programme regarding emergency health services and disaster management is also being conducted in the city of Izmir, beginning from April 9.
This was announced by Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmed Shah while giving the details regarding the collaboration between the Turkish ministry of health and the Punjab health department.
He said that Pak-Turk health week was also being observed from March 18 in connection with Pakistan Day celebrations during which Turkish doctors performed diagnosis and treatment activities. The Pak-Turk health week was held in Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital, Muzaffargarh, and Nishtar Hospital, Multan.
During the week, Turkish surgeons performed 75 operations in various specialties. EU and Foreign Affairs Director General Dr Oner Gunar also participated in the Pak-Turk health week. The health secretary further said that presently 13 field coordinators were visiting Turkey to receive practical and theoretical training in the field of coordination systems in Konya, Turkey.
They will also attend provincial evaluation meetings held with the participation of Prof Recep Akdag. Training programmes for nurses from Punjab are also being conducted in Ankara, Turkey. The second batch of 20 nurses will depart soon for training, Shah said.
Moreover, a delegation of entomologists will also visit Turkey next week to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of Turkish experts in the field of vector borne diseases. Najam Ahmed Shah said that by observing Pak-Turk health week in connection with the celebrations of Pakistan Day, more than 400 local physicians and surgeons had opportunities for hands on training.
Pak-Turkish cooperation in the health sector will go a long way in the development of Punjab’s healthcare sector, the health secretary said.