Medical Education in Pakistan: Dawn

THE state of public health in Pakistan is appalling, with doctors often failing to diagnose the illness, let alone successfully treating it. One of the key reasons for this — one that is often cited by experts in the field — is that our medical students and young doctors are not as familiar as they should be with the ailments that afflict the public. Perhaps this is so because the curriculum taught in our medical schools is outdated and out of touch with the health needs of most Pakistanis. The regional director of the World Health Organization raised similar points during a recent workshop in Lahore. He said that the country’s 30-year-old medical curriculum needed to be updated keeping in view the public’s health needs. He also pointed out that the high rate of infant and maternal mortality in Pakistan indicated that much needed to be done to equip doctors with the skills to promote public health. Part of the remedy, it was observed at the workshop, lay in promoting community-based medical education.

The indifferent approach of most medical schools in the country can be gauged by the fact that they teach only the basics of medical science. Technological advancements, research and development in medical science are hardly touched upon. Moreover, the examination system needs to be updated, while at the practical level medical students must be instructed in dealing with patients with empathy and sensitivity, so that as doctors they keep their socio-economic situation in mind while prescribing treatment. It must also be instilled in them that serving in remote areas of the country is crucial not only to the welfare of millions of people but also to their understanding of health problems in the country. For all this to happen, an overhaul of the medical curriculum, with a focus on public health, is essential. Dawn Newspaper