The Department of Emergency Medicine, in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies (CETE), recently hosted a comprehensive conference themed “Rethinking Emergency Care Science." This year's EMERGE 2024 conference consisted of 15 interactive workshops, 12 engaging sessions, and numerous insightful panel discussions and presentations from both national and international experts. It addressed the evolving challenges and opportunities within the field of Emergency Medicine, showcasing cutting-edge research, technological advancements, and best practices across disciplines.
The conference commenced with transformative insights into emergency medicine, featuring sessions on topics such as revolutionizing emergency department administration and modern approaches to resuscitation. A thoughtful dialogue session highlighted the stories of real-life heroes from Pakistan. Notable speakers included Massarat Misbah an entrepreneur who shared her experiences advocating for acid attack victims, Sana Khurshid who transformed her road accident tragedy into a story of strength and resilience, Mehwish Sharif Baluchistan's first deaf doctor, who spoke about her journey to achieving her dreams through hard work and determination, and Sarah Gill Pakistan's first transgender doctor and human rights activist, who discussed the struggles and achievements of the transgender community in light of emergency care.
The conference explored a range of critical topics, including climate change, disaster response, and the evolving role of emergency medicine in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). International experts such as Dr Bellal Joseph from the University of Arizona and Dr Sarah Patterson from McMaster University discussed frailty in older patient care and the integration of emotional safety in hospitals. AKU's distinguished alumni, Dr Adnan Hyder (MBBS'90) and Mehreen Kissat (MBBS'10) spoke about the challenges and unique advantages of research and emergency systems. Dr Junaid Razzak, founding Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at AKU, highlighted the remarkable growth of the department which has expanded from 8 beds to a highly successful department, supported by the long-standing D43 grant from Fogarty.
A notable highlight was the panel on emergency services in Sindh, featuring distinguished speakers such as Dr Rashid Jooma former DG Health Federal Government of Pakistan, Irshad Memon former DG Health, Rizwan Naseer Secretary of Emergency Services Department, Beenish Umer Founder of Rah-e-Amal, and Abid Sheikh Director-General of Sindh Emergency Rescue Service 1122.
“We need to urgently upgrade and update our health facilities to effectively manage the rising number of incidents we encounter each year. I advocate for more conferences and dialogues to foster collaboration and enhance emergency centers across Pakistan" expressed Abid Sheikh, Director General of Sindh Emergency Rescue Service 1122.
Throughout the conference, panelists shared valuable insights on the state of emergency rescue services in Pakistan, highlighting systemic improvements and the notable recruitment of women to meet the needs of the population.