Doctors must take up critical healthcare issues: Governor

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 19

Governor NN Vohra inaugurated the sixth annual National Airway Conference of the All India Difficult Airway Association at Gulmarg today.

The two-day National Airway Conference, being held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, has been organised by the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, in collaboration with the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR). More than 300 delegates from India and abroad are participating in the conference.

Complimenting the organisers for their initiative to hold the important event in Jammu and Kashmir, the Governor observed that it is a valuable opportunity for the medical fraternity to discuss the emerging trends with the experts in the various related areas of specialisations and be better equipped for dealing with the emerging challenges in the field of medical care.

The Governor called upon the delegates to also find time to discuss the various problems relating to the provision of adequate healthcare to the over billion and a quarter population of India. In this context, he drew attention to timely initiatives being taken to fill the very large gap in the availability of doctors, nurses, paramedics, technicians and other personnel required to manage hospitals and healthcare institutions.

He observed that, despite many handicaps, the medical fraternity was rendering yeoman service to the country and lauded the doctors and their supporting staff. On the occasion, the Governor also released a souvenir on the achievements of the All India Airway Association and gave away mementoes to the dignitaries. Ali Zargar, Director, SKIMS, congratulated the Department of Anaesthesiology for organising the mega event in the picturesque Valley, which, he said, will go a long way in providing to-date knowledge to the doctors in the airway management and other latest advancements in the field. Imtiyaz Naqash, Organising Chairman, Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, SKIMS, in his welcome address, said the conference is aimed at providing an insight into the basic and advanced concepts of airway management and the recent developments with focus on difficult airway management. The eminent airway experts and faculties from India and abroad will share their experiences through a series of didactic lectures and thematic sessions. The event will provide an opportunity to the participants to learn various advanced skills in the airway management.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included former Director, SKIMS, Mehraj-ud-Din, former Head, Cardiology, Khurshid Iqbal, Dean SKIMS, Gul Javid and secretary, All India Airway Association, Sheila Nainan Myatra.