LAHORE – Principal Amir-Ud-Din Medical College (AMC) Prof Dr Muhammad Farooq Afzal has highlighted challenges posed by increasing trauma incidents in Pakistan.
Speaking at an event arranged in connection with the World Trauma Day at AMC on Friday, he stated that trauma has become a major medical emergency following industrial development, population growth and traffic pressure.
Prof Farooq Afzal cited global research indicating that traffic accidents are causing more deaths than cancer and heart diseases among people up to the age of 44. He highlighted the importance of safe driving to the youth, referencing the famous phrase “speed thrills but kills,” and emphasised that caution is the guarantee of a safe society.
He informed that Lahore General Hospital (LGH) reports the highest number of trauma cases resulting from road accidents, industrial injuries and other mishaps. Although LGH’s Trauma Unit operates 24/7, the surge in these cases underscores the critical need to make trauma prevention and management an essential part of medical education.
The Principal AMC stressed that future doctors should not only be theoretically proficient but must also be fully prepared practically for trauma management and emergency response. He mentioned that students at AMC are receiving special training in Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care because “a moment’s delay can lead to the loss of a human life.”
He appealed to the public to play their part in preventing accidents by adhering to rules regarding helmets, seat belts, and speed limits. He added that training in First Aid and Basic Life Support should be promoted at the school, college and community levels and trauma units in all hospitals must be made more effective. He also emphasised the necessity for all concerned institutions to collaborate in raising public awareness to save precious human lives.
