Pakistan took a major step toward strengthening emergency services as the Pakistan Society of Emergency Medicine convened a National Emergency Medicine Conference at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad under the Collaborative Hubs of Academic Learning Organisations (cHALO) initiative.
International and local specialists from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States joined Pakistani clinicians and policy makers to advance emergency care reform with a focus on clinical skills, paediatric emergency medicine, resuscitation science, policy and leadership.
Day one emphasised core clinical skills and paediatric emergency care, with presentations by Dr. Qasim Sahi, Dr. Tamkeen Pervez, Dr. Anwer Qureshi, Dr. Nadeem Ashraf and visiting expert Dr. Mahvish Ahmad from the UK. A high-profile panel titled Challenge the Experts included international contributors Dr. Amjid Mohammed, Dr. Adris Razzaq, Dr. Faraaz Bhatti and Dr. Mueed Ahmad, while the paediatric sessions featured specialists such as Dr. Syeda Sobya Owais and Dr. Emadudin Siddiqi.
The second day centred on resuscitation science, policy and leadership. International faculty opened discussions on the latest resuscitation strategies and practical delivery in Pakistan’s hospitals, with talks by Dr. Junaid Razzak, Dr. Abdul Sattar, Dr. Beenish Hameed and others. Policy sessions examined low-resource emergency care, disaster readiness and the establishment of a national triage system to improve patient flow and outcomes.
Leadership and workforce development were addressed by co-chairs Dr. Abdus Salam Khan and Dr. Taj Hassan, joined by workforce experts from Ireland and the UK who discussed leadership models and the role of academic institutions in shaping emergency medicine policy and sustainable training programmes.
The conference underlined the growing priority given to developing internationally recognised emergency departments across Pakistan, a strategy endorsed at the national level. Speakers emphasised that practical training, standardised triage and stronger clinical leadership are essential components of any successful emergency care reform.
Dr. Abdus Salam Khan summarised the gathering by saying Pakistan now stands at the threshold of a new era in emergency care where training, technology and teamwork will help ensure timely treatment for every patient. The cHALO-supported collaboration signals renewed momentum to translate these conference goals into hospital-level improvements across the country.
