September 06, Colombo (LNW): More than 400 specialists and healthcare professionals from across South Asia and beyond have converged in Colombo for the 14th SAARC ENT Congress, placing greater access to ear, nose, throat and head-and-neck care at the centre of regional medical discussions.
The four-day gathering, which began on Friday, brings together clinicians and allied professionals from the eight SAARC nations — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — alongside experts from the United Kingdom, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Hosted by the College of Otorhinolaryngologists and Head and Neck Surgeons of Sri Lanka (CORLHNS), the congress is being held under the theme, ‘Towards Equitable ENT Care, Integrating Excellence and Accessibility through a Regional Approach’.
Opening the event, CORLHNS President Dr Amal Fernando said South Asia’s ENT specialists were working against a backdrop of considerable pressure, including large patient numbers, shortages of medical personnel, uneven access to healthcare facilities, supply constraints, economic difficulties and the continuing loss of skilled professionals overseas.
Yet, he said, the region possessed considerable clinical expertise and, equally importantly, a strong willingness among doctors to share knowledge and experience.
Dr Fernando noted that this is the third time Sri Lanka has hosted the regional congress, following earlier editions in 2004 and 2014. The SAARC ENT Congress, established in 1998 under the SAARC Association of Otolaryngologists, has continued despite political instability, economic upheaval and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also highlighted the continuing importance of professional gatherings at a time when medical practice is changing rapidly.
Advances in technology, emerging evidence and new surgical approaches mean that techniques taught during a doctor’s initial training may no longer represent the most effective options available, he said. Conferences therefore provide an opportunity for clinicians to challenge established practices, learn from colleagues and return to their hospitals with fresh perspectives.
Dr Fernando also described the congress as an opportunity to strengthen professional relationships across borders, arguing that informal conversations between specialists can sometimes prove just as valuable as formal presentations.
Health Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, who attended as chief guest, emphasised the wider impact of ENT disorders on quality of life. Ear, nose, throat and head-and-neck conditions affect millions of people, and untreated problems can result in years of avoidable discomfort and disability.
He paid tribute to ENT specialists and allied healthcare workers for the often-unnoticed work they undertake in caring for patients.
Health Secretary Dr Anil Jasinghe called for a broader approach to specialist healthcare, saying advances in medical technology should be matched by efforts to ensure that services reach people regardless of where they live.
He stressed that specialist interventions should not remain concentrated in major hospitals, but should be connected to primary healthcare services through effective referral systems.
Dr Jasinghe also drew attention to head-and-neck and oral cancers, noting that many patients are diagnosed only after their disease has reached an advanced stage. Greater emphasis, he said, should therefore be placed on prevention, reducing risk factors, early detection, timely referrals and appropriate treatment.
The scientific programme features a packed series of plenary sessions, panel discussions, keynote lectures and practical workshops. Twenty-three Sri Lankan experts and 52 overseas faculty members are contributing to the programme.
Among the keynote speakers is Prof Taranjit Singh Tatla, President of ENT UK, who will discuss the changing global landscape of ENT practice. Indian skull-base and ENT surgeon Dr Sathis Jain will examine the expanding role of subtotal petrosectomy in cochlear implantation, while Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, will speak on medical leadership and the lessons that can be drawn from working at the boundaries of healthcare.
The congress is also examining several emerging and specialist areas, including advances in anterior skull-base surgery, artificial intelligence and the future of otolaryngology, developments in voice medicine, facial aesthetics and reconstruction, and surgical approaches to sleep disorders.
Workshops on vertigo and ENT care for general practitioners are intended to strengthen links between specialist services and frontline healthcare.
With clinicians from across the region sharing expertise and confronting many of the same resource and workforce challenges, the Colombo meeting is seeking to turn professional collaboration into a practical pathway towards more accessible and consistent ENT care across South Asia.
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