PESHAWAR: Speakers at a three-day annual conference organised by the Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons (PAUS), which concluded on Wednesday, called on doctors to focus on research and develop advanced techniques to improve patient care and treatment outcomes.
The conference attracted more than 1,700 delegates, including 50 international faculty members and speakers, for extensive academic, scientific and research activities.
According to a press release, the conference featured 14 ple-nary sessions and 10 pre-conference workshops,offering valuable opportunities for professional development, academic exchange, and discussions on the latest advancesin urology.
The programme also included the semi-finals and final of the Pakistan Urology League competition, videobased sessions on advanced urological skills conducted by master surgeons, and dedicated sessions on inspiration, leadership, career counselling, teaching, training and assessment, and preventive urology.
Research remained a major highlight of the conference, with a record 1,642 research abstracts received and 12 comprehensiveresearch sessions conducted. A distinguished jury comprising 50 national and international faculty members evaluated the research contributions. The jury alsoshortlisted 10 outstanding urological research synopsesfrom 66 submissions for competitive presentations.
Alongside its academic and scientific activities, the conference featured a rich programme of social and cultural events for national and international delegates. Visiting faculty members were taken on sightseeing tours of Peshawar and its surrounding areas.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi attended the concluding cere-mony as the chief guest.
Awards and shields were presented to the organisers, research award winners and recipients of the three Best Paper Awards.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Prof Shamim Khan of the United Kingdom in recognition of his outstanding and tireless contributions to the promotion and advancement of urology at national and international levels.
Prominent speakers, among others, included Prof Matin Sherrief, Prof Naveed Afzal, Prof Tariq Tassadug, Prof Farrukh Qureshi, Dr Mazhar Sheikh, Prof Shabi Ahmed, DrShehzad Ahmed, Dr Rana Zikri, Dr Saqib, Dr Nicolas Peter and Dr Bob William from the United States. Other international participants included Dr Ennet, Faisal Al-Hajir and Dr Sarfaraz.
The speakers highlighted the importance of research, innovation and modern treatment approaches in addressing the growing burden of urological diseases.
Prof Liaqat Ali, chairman of the organising and scientific committees, said the collective efforts of everyone involved in organising the event had played an important role in promoting academic excellence and professional development in the everexpanding field of urology.