- Dr Qasim says it is important that healthcare providers do not consider patients solely as their clients
Renowned poet and educationist Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui has suggested teaching poetry and literature at medical educational institutions to enhance doctors’ understanding about human beings.
“It is important that they may not consider patients solely as their clients,” he said addressing a session hosted in honour of renowned Urdu poet Iftikhar Arif, under the auspices of Jahan-e-Maseeha Adbi Forum (JMAF) here on Wednesday.
He reiterated that it was very important that health care providers must deal patients as fellow human beings in need of compassion and empathy.
Dr Pirzada Qasim said many intellectuals and writers had repeatedly stressed the importance of poetry and literature for medical professionals so that they could better understand the human nature and provide them medical treatment for both their physical and mental health conditions.
The session was largely attended by doctors, consultants, healthcare professionals and surgeons along with prominent literary figures, including Iftikhar Arif, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Ajmal Siraj, Dr Iqbal Pirzada and Khawaja Razi Haider.
Urdu and English poems were recited by those present on the occasion while the audience was also enthralled through ghazals and other genres of poetry.
Paying tribute to Iftikhar Arif, Dr Pirzada Qasim said he is a known name among the admirers of Urdu poetry as he has created poetry and verses which are used in the daily language.
“He among few of our living legends whose poetry is included in curricula of educational institutions around the globe,’ he said.
Pirzada, an accomplished in his own right, appreciated that Iftikhar Arif has used the most appropriate and suitable words in his poems and Ghazals, which cannot be substituted.
“These provide a sense of relief to the listeners and guidance to emerging poets as to how words should be used to describe human feelings,” he said.
Chief Guest of the ceremony and eminent Urdu poet Iftikhar Arif on the occasion thanked the Jahan-e-Maseeha Adbi Forum and hoped that his poetry would help doctors and healthcare professionals to better understand the approaches of Urdu poets.
He also recited verses from a vast collection of his poetry and read out ghazals and poems on the demand of doctors and healthcare professionals.
