ISLAMABAD: The second Regional Training Course arranged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan through Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital NORI concluded on Thursday.
Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), a flagship cancer-treatment hospital running under the aegis of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), hosted the training course.
In his welcome address, Dr. Mohammad Faheem, Director NORI, thanked all the international delegates and local participants for making the training course successful by their active participation.
He shared with the audience how the Lead Country Coordinator from Japan Dr. Masaru Wakatsuki and other international delegates were afraid of coming to Pakistan owing to propaganda about the law and order situation in the country.
However, after their stay in Pakistan, their views and perceptions about Pakistan totally changed, he added.
IAEA appreciated
Dr. Faheem also thanked IAEA for having trust in AECH NORI to be the host of this course which he remarked as the most practical, interactive, and successful training course so far.
In her speech, Course Director of the RTC and Head Oncology and Radiology NORI Dr. Humera Mahmood briefed about the contents covered during the 4-day training activity and hoped that the knowledge and experience gained during the course would benefit the practitioners as well as their patients.
Dr. Masood Iqbal, Member of Science PAEC, was the chief guest of the closing ceremony.
In his address, he shared how PAEC started its journey of using nuclear technology for cancer treatment by establishing the first cancer hospital in Karachi in the early 1960s.
He said that now, twenty cancer hospitals established by PAEC are catering to the needs of 80 percent of the cancer-affected population of the country.
Dr. Iqbal further said that PAEC was also contributing in the agriculture sector as four of its agriculture research centers had evolved over 150 high-yield and disease-resistant crop varieties.
