LONDON – A Pakistani born doctor and scientist has become the first surgeonin 200 years old history of Royal College of Surgeons of England to beawarded ‘Hunterian Professor Award’ for his research work encompassingvascular surgery, bio-engineering, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) physicsand vascular medicine.
Hunterian Professor Doctor Umar Sadat has received this highest honour forhis extensive research work on blocked arteries.
He has been working in Cambridge for more than 10 years to develop aspecial technique that uses MRI to identify dangerous blockages in arteriesthat cause heart attacks, stroke or gangrene of the legs. He developed thistechnique by working with a team of engineers, physicists, and physicians.
He told Geo News: “This technology can help people worldwide. It can helpus understand the disease pattern in much more detail and can be veryuseful for pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs and check theireffectiveness.”
Dr Sadat graduated from King Edward Medical University and came to the UKin 2005. “I have completed my qualification (FRCS) in vascular surgery.Besides being a vascular surgeon, I have established myself as a scientist.I have gained research qualifications such as Master of Philosophy, Doctorof Philosophy and Master of Surgery — all from the University of Cambridge.I have published over 150 research papers and received various prestigiousawards for my research”.
This historical award is special because it’s equivalent to Nobel Prize forsurgeons who do ground breaking research.
Dr Sadat comes from a family of educationalists. “My father and mother(late) had been professors in history and botany. My only focus since mychildhood has been my studies. Due to singularity of purpose and lack ofdistractions, achieving a goal becomes easy.”
Dr Sadat stressed that Pakistan needs to develop research institutions.
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“In Pakistan we do not have a research culture, and there is hardly aresearch infrastructure in healthcare of international level. Ourgovernment in Pakistan must try to establish a medical research centre ofexcellence where research of international level can be carried out. Thebattles of today in developed countries are being fought in the field ofresearch. Our mindset as a nation must change. We must encourage studentsin our institutions to participate in research projects.
Developed countries have a culture of promoting and nurturing research.This is why all discoveries have come from these countries for quietsometime.”
He said that vascular surgery as a specialty does not even exist inPakistan. Pakistanis as a population have risk factors like diabetes andhigh blood pressure to develop blocked arteries. Cardiac surgery exists inPakistan but cardiac surgeons are not trained to treat patients with strokeor gangrene of legs, he said. Patients (and their relatives) are usuallyasked to pray for the patient after they become sick with these illnessesrather than government try to develop the infrastructure where conditionslike stroke and gangrene of legs can be treated. A patient with minorstroke can have surgery or angioplasty on the artery in neck if it is thecause, and it can prevent a big stroke in future. Bypass surgery orangioplasty on the legs of patient with gangrene can save their legs. Weare a nuclear state but lack essential healthcare facilities. This mustchange.”
Dr Sadat said he has acquired experience from the best surgeons andresearchers in the UK. “If I can be of any assistance to help establish amedical research centre of international level in Pakistan, I would be keento serve the people of Pakistan”.
Syed Waquar Yusuf was the first Pakistani vascular surgeon to be awardedthis honour in 1999 for his work on aortic aneurysm in vascular surgery.This award is given since 1810, in the memory of Dr John Hunter (1728-93),who is considered as the ‘Father of scientific surgery’.
Famous British surgeons who have been awarded with Hunterian Professorshipin the past were usually Royal physicians or surgeons who later receivedknighthoods for their services. A few famous names of those recipientsinclude: Sir William Blizzard- 1813; Sir James Paget- 1877; Sir SpencerWells-1883; Baron Brock 1961.
