LAHORE, Aug 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has stressed that becoming an ideal health professional requires professional dedication, hard work and continuous engagement with modern research. Addressing the Research and Education 2026 Conference, organised by Ameeruddin Medical College (AMC), via video link as the chief guest on Wednesday, he said the government would extend every possible support to promote innovation and research in the …
Ahsan Iqbal stresses research, innovation to strengthen country’s health sector
LAHORE, Aug 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has stressed that becoming an ideal health professional requires professional dedication, hard work and continuous engagement with modern research.
Addressing the Research and Education 2026 Conference, organised by Ameeruddin Medical College (AMC), via video link as the chief guest on Wednesday, he said the government would extend every possible support to promote innovation and research in the health sector to help Pakistan achieve self-reliance in healthcare.
The minister said modern research and technology were the real guarantors of national progress. By connecting Pakistani doctors with international research and technological advancements, the country could strengthen its position on the global stage, he added.
He said the future of medicine was inseparable from research and contemporary teaching methods, stressing the need to equip medical professionals with modern knowledge and skills.
Principal of PGMI and LGH Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooq Afzal said international-standard doctors could not be produced without innovation in medical education. He said AMC and PGMI had consistently pioneered new approaches to medical teaching, with a focus on shifting students from traditional classroom learning towards clinical and research-based education.
Distinguished medical educators at the conference observed that textbook knowledge alone was insufficient for modern medical education. They stressed the integration of technology, simulation and research into medical training and recommended replacing conventional lectures with problem-based learning, case-based discussions and skills laboratories as mandatory components of the curriculum.
The speakers also called for the establishment of faculty development centres for continuous teacher training and recommended incorporating artificial intelligence, telemedicine and modern public-health concepts into the curriculum every three years.
Participants emphasised that locally generated, data-driven research was essential to address Pakistan’s major health challenges, including hepatitis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and maternal and child health.
They proposed activating Student Research Societies, research units and ethics committees in medical colleges. The speakers also urged the government and private sector to provide grants, funding opportunities and platforms for publishing annual research journals to encourage young researchers.
Renowned medical experts, including Dr. Muhammad Usman Rashid, Prof. Athar Inam, Dr. Safee Ullah Chaudhry, Prof. Anjum Habib Vohra, Prof. Dr. Asif Bashir, Prof. Ghayas-un-Nabi Tayyab, Prof. Farrukh Zaman, Prof. Tariq Salahuddin, Prof. Sadia Chiragh, Dr. Tayyaba Wasim, Prof. Nudrat Sohail, Prof. Shandana Tariq, Prof. Muhammad Yasub Ali Naqvi, Prof. Amna Ahsan Cheema, MS Faryad Hussain, Prof. Farhan Rashid and Prof. Tayyaba Gul Malik attended the conference.
Faculty members and experts from the United States and Aga Khan University, Karachi, also participated in the event.
At the conclusion, shields and certificates were distributed among guests and participants in recognition of their outstanding services and research presentations. A large number of faculty members, senior professors and students attended the conference.
