The Pakistan Society of Emergency Medicine convened a major two-day conference at Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, bringing together specialists from Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States to push for nationwide improvements in emergency care and trauma systems under the cHALO collaborative.
Day one concentrated on clinical core skills and paediatric emergency care, with presentations from Dr. Qasim Sahi, Dr. Tamkeen Pervez, Dr. Anwer Qureshi, Dr. Nadeem Ashraf and Dr. Mahvish Ahmad from the UK. A high-profile “Challenge the Experts” panel featured Dr. Amjid Mohammed (UK), Dr. Adris Razzaq (UK), Dr. Faraaz Bhatti (USA) and Dr. Mueed Ahmad (UAE), while the paediatric sessions included contributions from Dr. Syeda Sobya Owais (Shifa International Hospital), Dr. Emadudin Siddiqi (AKU), Dr. Anisa Jafar (UK) and Dr. Mashood Qazi (UAE).
On day two delegates examined resuscitation science, policy and leadership. Dr. Junaid Razzak (USA) opened with the latest resuscitation strategies, followed by sessions led by Dr. Abdul Sattar, Dr. Beenish Hameed, Dr. Faraz Bhatti (USA) and Dr. Naeem Toosy (UAE). Policy discussions by Dr. Faisal Subhani, Dr. Salman Khan, Dr. Mueed Ahmad and Dr. Azer Shaikh addressed care in low-resource settings, disaster readiness and the imperative to develop a national triage system to ensure timely treatment across Pakistan.
A session on leadership and workforce development, co-chaired by Dr. Abdus Salam Khan and Dr. Taj Hassan (UK), featured perspectives from Mr. Fergal Hickey (Ireland) and Mr. John Heyworth (UK) alongside Dr. Junaid Razzak (USA) and Dr. Tamkeen Pervaiz. Speakers explored leadership models and the role of academic institutions in strengthening emergency medicine training and policy.
Dr. Khawaja Junaid Mustafa, Chief Medical Officer at Shifa International Hospital and President of PSEM, emphasised that developing internationally recognised emergency departments across Pakistan has become a national priority supported by Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. The conference underscored that coordinated training, improved protocols and a unified triage approach are central to resilient emergency care.
Dr. Abdus Salam Khan, Founder and former President of PSEM, said Pakistan now stands “at the threshold of a new era in emergency care — where training, technology, and teamwork will ensure no patient is ever denied timely treatment.” Delegates left with a clear mandate to translate the conference recommendations into concrete reforms that will strengthen trauma response, resuscitation practice and nationwide emergency care capacity.
