Keeping up its reputation of holding Scientific Programs of highest standards, Muhammad Medical College, Mirpurkhas, held its 8th Annual Medical Symposium on 6th and 7th October 2010 at its campus. The theme of the Symposium was "Medical Disasters following Natural Calamities in Pakistan". It was very well attended by doctors and clinical medical students from within Mirpurkhas and other cities of Pakistan.

Having had a pre-Symposium Seminar the day before, the stage for holding the Symposium was already nicely set. The morning of 6th October, was allocated to the presentations (free papers) by clinical medical students. First free paper was presented by Mr. Shehryar of Fourth Year MBBS Muhammad Medical College. He presented the findings of the work done by his group on Infection Control Practices among General Practitioners. He explained that despite clear guidelines and obvious risks, a significant number of GPs was not practicing adequate infection control practices and suggested proper training and workshops for them. Miss Tayyaba Naureen of Final Year Muhammad Medical College presented her group’s paper on the Audit of Neck Swelling presented to surgical department in Muhammad Medical College Hospital. She showed that the commonest cause of this presentation was tuberculous lymphadenitis followed by goiter. Mr. Abaid ur Rehman presented on audit of Upper GI Bleed at Muhammad Medical College Hospital. Over 70% were caused by bleeding oesophageal varices, of which 94% were treated endoscopically by band ligation. No immediate in- hospital mortality was recorded in patients treated as such over last 12 months. Mr. Waqar Kazmi of Final Year Muhammad Medical College presented his audit on CVA. He showed that majority (94%) of CVAs was caused by non- haemorrhagic infarcts and carried a high mortality of approximately 30%. Mr. Burhan Rasheed, Final Year student Muhammad Medical College, presented his study on evaluation of abdominal pain presenting to the hospital and showed that majority of patients in recent past has been presenting to department of medicine with complications of cirrhosis such as tense ascites, hepatoma and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Miss Rabia Hameed of Final Year Muhammad Medical College presented her group’s paper on frequency of iron deficiency anaemia in patients with microcytic anaemia. She showed that only 59% of patients with microcytic anaemia proved to have a low ferritin level confirming iron deficiency. She raised concerns that doctors have been prescribing iron supplements indiscriminately to all patients with microcytic anaemia who may not need it and may develop iron over- load with its potential complications. Mr. Adeel Ali Memon of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) presented his group’s findings on malaria. He showed that plasmodium vivax infection was 86% of all malaria patients. Mr. Hamdan Ahmed also of DUHS presented on anti- HCV seropositivity in Karachi and discussed the possibility that this disease may in fact be on the rise despite all campaign against unsafe blood transfusion and reuse of disposable syringes. Mr. Hasan Nadeem of final year Muhammad Medical College presented his paper on mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and showed that. Mortality with a single decompensation feature was approximately 10% and climbed to 20% with 2 and 30% with 3 features in present in such patients. Miss Saba Jacob of final year presented her paper on Reproductive and Sexual complications of Diabetes Mellitus. She showed that all such problems were significantly higher in patients with DM and abortion rate was around 42%. Mr. Akhtar Abbas of final year presented the finding of flood relief activities of Government and UNICEF in District Kot Addu. He said that particularly nonspecific fever and skin diseases were quite high in flood victims. Mr. Yasir Arafat of Final year Muhammad Medical College presented a study of one year hospital admissions in Muhammad Medical College. 17% of all admission in all departments was caused by problems from chronic liver disease and nearly 30% of all deaths in hospital were caused by them. Mr. Saud Iqbal of DUHS presented his data collected from various Labs in Karachi on prevalence of Typhoid fever and pattern of antibiotics susceptibility among Salmonella isolates. He showed that some of the previously commonly used medications have now developed resistance, such as amoxicillin and co-trimoxazole but cephalosporins and quinolones are doing quite well.

After the above session, 2 different sessions were run simultaneously. In one auditorium, physicians session went on. Dr. Ayesha Majeed Memon of Liaqut University presented a paper on frequency of malaria in patients with splenomegaly and normocytic anaemia. Dr. Shahid Memon updated audience on management of heart failure. Dr. Abdul Rasheed Khan, Head of cardiology department, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital presented a lecture on how to improve drug compliance in patients with hypertension.

In another auditorium, Society of Surgeons, Mirpurkhas Chapter ran a seminar at the same time. A team from Hamdard University also held a “Hamdard Hour” in Symposium. Mr. Asad Ali Toor of final year presented on Surgical Safety practices. Miss Erum Hashmi on Nutrition assessment in children, Mr. Muhammad Usman Saeed on Hospital waste management at Tertiary Care Hospitals in Karachi, Mr. Abdul Rehman Nakshbandi on factors associated with drug addiction, and Mr. Danish Henry on Depression in old age.

Professor Seema Mumtazof Community Health Sciences in Hamdard University presented a talk on Nutritional Status in patients with Tuberculosis. All the presenters were presented with Symposium shields and ba

Second day of the symposium started with a Scientific Session. Dr. Qamarun Nisa was the stage secretary. Dr. Jawaid Rajput presented his paper on “Operation Theaters, an inside story”. Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan presented results of his study done on End of Treatment Response in hepatitis C infection. Prof. Mumtaz Memon presented a study on Lipid disorders in cardiac diseases and Prof. Noor Muhammad Memon on Dengue Fever.

After this session, Chief Guest Dr. Qazi Mujtaba Kamal, Federal Deputy Director General Health, flanked with senior professors of Muhammad Medical College, LUMHS and Nawabshah opened the Exhibition Hall by cutting the ribbon at the entrance. He then visited all the stalls and hospitality rooms and was informed on the services offered by all the pharmaceutical and other companies. He then opened the Scientific Poster Presentation Hall. He visited all the 43 posters presented by the students and doctors of MMC&H, and showed interest in the work done by students and doctors by asking the details of the studies.

Audience then gathered again in the main symposium hall. Formal theme session then started. Dr. Shamsul Arfeen Khan performed the duties of Stage Secretary. After recitation from Holy Quran, Prof. Syed Razi Muhammad, Managing Trustee of the Trust, gave a welcome and theme speech. He described the devastating effects of recent floods and mentioned some of the efforts made by Muhammad Medical College & Hospital in reducing the suffering of the victims. He also expanded on the future plans in helping the rehabilitation of the victims and urged the audience to perform their roles in this big problem. Chief Guest and all the senior professors then jointly inaugurated the first ever edition of “Journal of Muhammad Medical College”. They described this event as a milestone in scientific history of this region. Professor Syed Zafar Abbas, Chairman Scientific Committee of the Symposium then gave the statistics of all the presentations done in the symposium. He told the audience that in total 84 papers were presented in the symposium. Out of them there were 70 free papers, of which 43 were produced by students and doctors of MMCH. Remaining were invited talks on key topics by eminent experts from different parts of the country. Chief Guest Dr. Qazi Mujtaba Kamal in his speech praised the efforts of founders and runners of Muhammad Foundation Trust in establishing such great institutions in this remote area of Pakistan. He appreciated the high quality of the papers displayed as posters by the students and doctors of MMC&H and expressed his pleasant surprise on that. He offered all out support to the college on his part in all area including further improvement in educational and health care facilities and in relief efforts to the flood victims. Prof. Ghulam Ali Memon, Principal MMC, then offered Votes Of Thanks to all participants, presenters, workers, pharmaceutical companies, organizing committee, scientific committee, guests and stage secretaries.

Scientific Session V started immediately after this session. Professor Syed Jameel Husain of LUMHS presented a study on Psychiatric issue among flood victims. Professor Rafi Ahmed Ghouri, Chairman Department of Medicine, LUMHS presented on Recent Advances of Diabetes Mellitus Type II. Professor Abdul Sattar Memon, Counselor CPSP and Dean Surgery LUMHS, gave a lecture on Endoscopy in The new Millennium. Later all the distinguished speakers were presented symposium shields and bags. All the participants were also given a copy of Symposium Abstract Book and Journal of Muhammad Medical College.

Following this award ceremony was held. Dr. Syed Ali Muhammad Memorial First prize for case reports was awarded to Miss Sabah Jacob et al, Second prize to Miss Mehwish Shafique et al and Third prize to Miss Somal Qureshi et al. For the category of poster presentation, original report, First prize was awarded to Mr. Syed Waqar Ali Kazmi et al, Second to Miss Aneela Amber (fourth year) et al, and Third to Miss Amna Riaz (fourth year) et al. First prize for oral presentation went to Miss Sabah Jacob et al, Second to Mr. Yasir Arafat et al and Third to Miss Rabia Hameed et al.

Symposium 2010 ended by serving all participants with lunch