Public awareness plays a vital role in preventing burn accidents, emphasized Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, National Health Coordinator, during a three-day national conference organized by the Burn Care Centre and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, in collaboration with the Pakistan Burn Association. Dr. Mukhtar stressed that the first four to six hours after a burn injury are critical. Timely medical care during this golden window can significantly reduce fatalities. He also highlighted the alarming lack of burn care facilities in hospitals, which has led to higher mortality rates. “There is an urgent need to establish burn wards at the tehsil level and specialized burn centres at the district level to ensure accessible care for burn victims,” he said. HEC Chairman, Professor Mukhtar Ahmed, pointed out the lack of quality research in the medical field and reaffirmed HEC’s commitment to supporting universities through research grants. He called for fostering a culture of advanced research and emphasized organizing awareness sessions on burn prevention in universities across Pakistan. Professor Dr. Tariq Iqbal, Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the Organizing Committee, underscored the need for legislation to prevent burn incidents. He advocated for the establishment of a National Burn Registry to maintain centralized records of burn patients and called for the implementation of standardized treatment protocols in all hospitals. “Through national prevention programs, we can effectively raise awareness about burn accident prevention,” he added. Highlighting the efforts of the PIMS-affiliated Burn Centre, Dr. Tariq shared that despite limited resources, high-quality treatment is being provided. He noted the dependence on imported supplies like bandages for burn patients but lauded local researchers developing artificial skin through university-led research projects. He also raised concerns about resource constraints that prevent many patients from accessing treatment. Dr. Samia announced the launch of a nationwide awareness campaign on burn accident prevention through the Pakistan Burn Association’s social media platforms. Additionally, the conference resolved to observe National Burn Day annually to sustain public awareness efforts. The next burn conference will be hosted by Mayo Hospital, Lahore. This year’s conference, themed “Advanced Burn Care: Restoring Hope,” featured cutting-edge research with 15 state-of-the-art research papers, 16 oral presentations, and 10 posters. International experts, including Dr. Faisal Ashfaq (UK), Dr. Mark Fisher (USA), Dr. George (South Africa), and Dr. Sunil Keswani (India), joined prominent Pakistani surgeons in sharing their insights and advancements in burn care.
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