Paediatric conference begins in Oman

MUSCAT: As many as 400 participants from countries, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Germany and the United States, are attending a conference based on the theme of, “Controversies in Paediatrics: Pitfalls in management.”
The 19th International Paediatric Conference organised by the Sultan Qaboos University, commenced under the patronage of Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Hosni, undersecretary for Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health.
Prof. Yassir Wali, chairman of the organising committee of the conference said the conference is part of the university’s continuous commitment to quality improvement.
Wali further said, “Oman, has a relatively young population, 40 per cent being less than 15 years of age and has surpassed many developed countries, especially in health care.
State-of-the-art diagnostic tools, excellent therapeutic modalities, opening of new hospitals, upgrading old ones and adding so many young local medical staff have really helped make progress in child health in this country.
“It is well known in the current era that evidence-based guidelines are constantly changing with many controversies in management. The theme of the paediatric conference will be discussed by the best international and regional faculty known in their fields, and they will deliver keynote addresses and lead workshops and symposia.” Al Hosni also inaugurated an exhibition of posters on child health research.
In the keynote address, Dr. Hadeel Faras from Al Sabah Hospital, Kuwait, spoke about child development.
“It is important to understand normal development variations and detect any deviations from normal patterns of growth in early life as this may be the first indicator of an underlying organic or cognitive impairment or psychosocial problems. Research has shown that children with growth delays face an increased risk of poor outcomes and early identification is key to maximise child’s improvement potential.”