by Zafar Hussain

 

BEIJING, May 21 (China Economic Net) - China Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA) was launched to facilitate Pakistani students in China who faced several challenges during their study and practices. 

 

Dr. Muhammad Shahbaz, President of CPMA said that the China Pakistan Medical Association initiative was much needed and it can play a pivotal role in  China-Pakistan cooperation in the health and education sector to combat health challenges in modern times.

 

With the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in place, experts from Pakistan and China can bring revolutionary changes to the health sector. 

 

"China has vast healthcare facilities with 8 million health workers, including 3 million practicing doctors, 800,000 surgeons, 6 million nurses, and 27,215 hospitals. Doctor and medical staff exchange programs can be established to train doctors and medical staff in Pakistan", he added. 

 

He further said that in Pakistan, there are more than 175,000 registered doctors and a majority of these doctors need medical training and advanced medical equipment. He added that the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, the University of Health Sciences, and the College of Physicians and the Surgeons of Pakistan can cooperate with institutes to start medical and surgical training programs.

 

"Currently more than 7500 Pakistani medical students are studying here and more than 15,000 students from China have graduated. The majority of them have learned MBBS Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of surgery. A number of them have learned Chinese Traditional Medicine," he told China Economic Net.

 

He further said that China has 46 surgical robots, plus advanced laparoscopic surgery machines. Pakistani doctors and surgeons could learn advanced medical and surgical skills especially in the field of robotic and laparoscopic surgery. 

 

"More hospitals could be established along CPEC so that Pakistani medical graduates from China could do internships and work in these hospitals. Pakistan can learn a lot from the healthcare system of China", Shahbaz suggested.

 

Shahbaz said that state-of-the-art medical training centers and hospitals can be established along the CPEC to provide opportunities for Pakistani doctors and Pakistani medical graduates from Chinese medical universities. Student and faculty exchange programs and collaborative approaches can be helpful to address the health issues and will be useful for capacity building in the institutions of both countries.

 

"The pandemic has provided Pakistan a unique opportunity to expand health cooperation with China under the China-Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA). Information sharing and learning from Chinese expertise can be beneficial for capacity building of Pakistani doctors", the President of CPMA told CEN.

 

“Pakistani hospitals can be digitalized. Big Data centers can be established in the top 20 hospitals in the first stage, tracking and keeping a record of patients will be easy in this way. Joint sessions on telemedicine can be held frequently”. Dr. Muhammad also mentioned that while Pakistan has conceived its medical system from Britain, the China Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA) will provide a great platform for healthcare cooperation between China and Pakistan.