Srinagar, March 24: The Department of General Medicine at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, in collaboration with the District Tuberculosis (TB) Centre, Srinagar, marked World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on Tuesday. The event aimed to raise awareness about the global burden of TB and highlight recent advancements in its diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
The inaugural session commenced with a welcome address by Prof. (Dr.) Sonauallah Shah, Head of the Department of General Medicine, SKIMS, who introduced this year’s World TB Day theme and its significance in public health.
This was followed by the Associate Dean’s address by Prof. (Dr.) G.M. Gulzar, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, who stressed the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of TB and the need for heightened public awareness. Delivering the Director’s Address, Prof. (Dr.) Mohd Ashraf Ganie, Director SKIMS and EOSG, underscored the emerging health challenge posed by the convergence of the non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic with infectious diseases like TB. He highlighted the crucial role of research in TB elimination and called for collaboration between the Departments of General Medicine, Community Medicine, Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases to address TB-related challenges effectively.
The event also featured insightful lectures by leading faculty members of SKIMS, including–Dr. Nazia Mehfooz, Assistant Professor, Respiratory Medicine, Dr. Farhana Siraj, Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases, Dr. Nargis Kour Bali, Associate Professor, Microbiology and Dr. Javid Ahmad, Additional Professor, Community Medicine.
The sessions were chaired by eminent faculty members and covered various aspects of tuberculosis, from clinical management to public health interventions. The programme concluded with an interactive session and closing remarks by Prof. Ajaz Nabi Koul, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, where postgraduates discussed complex case-based scenarios of tuberculosis. Prof. Koul emphasised the importance of teamwork among clinicians, laboratory specialists, and radiologists in improving early detection and management of TB at a tertiary care centre like SKIMS. Expressing gratitude, he thanked the District Tuberculosis Officer (DTO) Srinagar and the SKIMS administration for their support in organising this academic event. The programme was well-attended by faculty members, residents, and medical professionals, reaffirming their commitment to eliminating tuberculosis and achieving the global target of ending TB by 2030.
