KARACHI: Tracheostomy—an alternative method of respiration—has become more important in order to save lives in the wake of increasing deaths from Covid-19 and road traffic accidents.

These views were expressed by surgery experts while speaking at a two-day hands-on workshop on practical training in bronchoscopy, organized by the ENT Head and Neck Surgery Department of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in collaboration with the Department of Thoracic Surgery.

Apart from various hospitals in Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, front-line health workers from different institutions were recruited for training for the purpose.

Speaking as chief guest at the awards ceremony, Vice-Chancellor DUHS Prof Muhammad Saeed Quraishy, who is also Professor of Surgery, said that 40 people have completed training in tracheostomy and bronchoscopy, which was a great development but added this number needs to be increased in future workshops.

Importance of alternative method of respiration highlighted

After training in alternative methods under Covid guidelines, these frontline health workers will play their role in saving human lives across the country.

The experts who described their experiences at the workshop included Prof Salman Matiullah Sheikh, Prof Iqbal A Muhammad Khyani, Prof Shuja Farrukh, Dr. Salman, Dr. Murtaza, Prof Niaz Soomro, and Prof  Ejaz Hussain Soomro.

The experts said that tracheostomy is more effective in restoring the natural respiratory system in alternative ways, adding the process of de-cannulation has a positive effect on a patient.

Prof Iqbal Khyani said respiratory restoration is a procedure in which oxygen or air enters the neck through surgery.

He informed the participants about the alternative methods of respiration, their advantages, and disadvantages, and also the precautions. Prof Kayani urged the participants to go to their institutions and use their training to save human lives.

ENT and thoracic surgery experts trained the participants through artificial body parts, telling them about all the modern and traditional instruments used in tracheostomy and bronchoscopy.

At the end of the workshop, Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Saeed Quraishy distributed certificates among the participants, and shields were presented to master trainers.        —News Desk