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First stoke center has also been established at Lahore general hospital
For the first time in the medical history of Pakistan, a government hospital i.e., Lahore General Hospital (LGH) has started liver cancer treatment at its Interventional Neuro-Radiology Department.
Credit of this great achievement goes to Senior Radiologist Dr. Muhammad Farooq who took this initiative under the supervision of Head of the Department Dr. Umair Rasheed Chaudhry by treating liver cancer through TACE i.e., angiography of liver.
Dr. Umair Rasheed Chaudhry told Pakistan and Gulf Economist (PAGE) that this development is the outcome of the policy of focusing research given by the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. Such treatment was being carried out in some private hospitals before this, he said.
He further said that the first Stoke Center in Pakistan has also been established at Lahore General Hospital, which would be utilized by poor along with other segments of society on equal basis.
According to him, liver cancer is generally diagnosed in hepatitis patients and it can be cured successfully through modern technologies like RFA and TACE provided that it is detected timely.
He further told that a number of procedures about liver including PTC, PTBD and stunting are being carried out at LGH now to facilitate masses.
Health for all a vision
Dr. Umair Rasheed Chaudhry, who is a son of country’s leading psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Rashid Chaudhry, who founded Fountain House Lahore, said that the modern methodology adopted by medical experts with the help of government patronage would improve further in future and the days are not far ahead when patients from other countries would come to Pakistan for treatment. Earlier, such treatment was being provided in some private hospitals only.
Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute Prof. Anjum Habib Vohra said that revolutionary steps have been taken to turn the Lahore General Hospital into a patient-friendly institute in accordance with the ‘Health for All’ vision of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif.
According to him, the administrative doctors of the LGH had been delegated more powers so as to facilitate patients round the clock. Now relevant administrative doctors will be held responsible if lifesaving drugs get unavailable in the Emergency Ward, ICU, CCU or operation theatre as these doctors have been given authority to purchase such drugs from private market in case of emergency, he added.
Prof. Anjum Habib Vohra said that administrative doctors had been made duty bound to ensure presence of nurses, paramedics and doctors during their shifts and they would report about the absent staff to Principal and MS on daily basis.
Giving history about the LGH, Prof. Anjum Habib Vohra said the Department of Neurosurgery of King Edward Medical College, Lahore was setup at Lahore General Hospital in 1966. Then after the birth of Postgraduate Medical Institute Lahore in 1974, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore was affiliated with Postgraduate Medical Institute in July, 1975. Except the Department of Neurosurgery, T.B. & Chest; these both departments were remain attached with K.E.M.C, Lahore. In April 1984, new neurosurgery/physiotherapy were completed, and these departments were shifted in new building (Neurosurgery Block).
In 1995, on the shifting of Allama Iqbal Medical College to new campus, Jinnah Hospital Complex was affiliated with AIMC and PGMI was shifted to Services Hospital, Lahore. The Lahore General Hospital was attached with AIMC. This continued till 31-05-1997. Then again LGH was attached with PGMI on 31-05-1997.
He said, “Our mission is to establish Lahore General Hospital as the best public sector hospital providing tertiary level care of health services to the community.
Teaching facility to both local and foreign students
Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore (PGMI) was established in 1974 in the building of Experimental Medicine Department of King Edward Medical College. Lahore and Lahore General Hospital. Lahore (LGH) was affiliated to PGMI then. The aims and objectives of PGMI were to provide postgraduate medical education and training to doctors in both clinical and basic disciplines. New medical colleges were being opened at that time and there was an acute shortage of medical teachers then, particularly in basic medical science disciplines. In the initial years, PGMI admitted post graduate students in 23 various basic and clinical courses, and with the passing time a number of more courses were added.
Presently, PGMI is running 60 courses in various disciplines of medical science, which includes 12 diplomas (minor qualification) and 48 degree courses (major qualification). This Institute caters not only the needs of the Punjab but also of other provinces like Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Balochistan, Islamabad. FATA. Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. PGMI has provided teaching and training facilities to the students from other countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran and Arab countries. PGMI. In this way PGMI has been strengthening ties of friendship with these countries and other provinces. Up till now more than 9,384 students have been enrolled in PGMI and 3,310 doctors have passed their postgraduate examinations.
