Shershah Syed (born 1953) is a Pakistani physician and surgeon, known for his work in

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surg ...

and maternal health. He was involved in providing emergency medical assistance to victims of the

2010 Pakistan floods The floods in Pakistan began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and, Balochistan regions of Pakistan, which affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's tota ...

. He was the President of the Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Pakistan from 2007 to 2010, He is the current President of the International Society of Fistula Surgeons (ISOFS) and also the Pakistan National Forum on Women's Health (PNFWH).

Career

After MBBS from

Dow Medical College Dow Medical College is a public medical school located in the city of Karachi, Sindh. It was founded in 1945 and named after British civil servant Sir Hugh Dow, Governor of Sindh. In 2003, it became a constituent college of the newly formed Do ...

, he moved to the UK and trained and worked in Ireland to become an

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surg ...

and

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined ar ...

. He attained an MRCOG before returning to Pakistan where he started working for the

Government of Sindh The Government of Sindh ( sd, حڪومت سنڌ) ( ur, ) is the provincial government of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the 1973 Constitution, in which 30 Districts of 7 Divisions u ...

and was posted as

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and gene ...

at Dow Medical College. He subsequently joined Sobhraj Maternity Hospital as MS. After a short stint at the Nawabshah Medical College, he joined the Qatar Hospital in Orangi Town. Shershah has worked for the Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Medical Dental Council, Society of Obstetrician and Gynecologists Pakistan (SOGP), Amnesty International, and the International Society of Fistula Surgeons (ISOFS). In 2012, his book, ''Vision: Not Just a Dream'', was reviewed by ''DAWN''. Two years later, in 2014, a biography about him was published in Sindhi language.

Fellowship and Awards

RCOG traveling award to work at FISTULA Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1994 RCOG Menopause Award 1996 to attend a meeting in London and to work with Dr. John Studd's menopause clinic Clinton Global Initiative guest invited by President Clinton in New York in November 2009 FIGO (Federation of Obstetrica Gynaecologica) Distinguish Community Obstetrician award received in 2003 at Santiago Chile. Pride of Karachi Award by K-Electric in 2014 Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award 2012 for the treatment of genital tract fistula and rehabilitation of fistula victims Nomination among 100 most inspiring individuals delivering for girls and women by Women Deliver in 2011

Humanitarian / Philanthropic Activities

After receiving training in the treatment of infertility, on his return to Pakistan he was overwhelmed seeing the plight of women in the country. For the first time in his practice he encountered pregnant women dying in great numbers due to avoidable causes and noticed that more than six hundred thousand women were having complications because of pregnancy, like Fistula. This depressed him changed his entire concept of practice and he lost interest in infertility and started working to prevent maternal death and suffering of women. He also realized that young girls were also suffering badly and they were forcefully married when they are merely children. Girls were being murdered by their family members on the name of honor killing. He started working against violence against women with UNICEF and UNFPA. Realizing that the maternal death rate cannot be decreased without providing care to pregnant women and that will be only possible by training of midwives, with the help of UNICEF he established a number of new schools of midwifery in different parts of country.

Creating a Great Resource for Midwifery

Realizing that no books on midwifery were available in the vernacular which seriously hampered teaching, in collaboration with a group of Journalists in Karachi Dr. Shershah started translating midwifery books in to Urdu and Sindhi. In record time 13 different books, averaging over 400 pages each on midwifery and nursing were translated from English to Urdu and Sindhi which was a great achievement, thus creating a great resource available for teaching in the local languages. A task of this dimension is usually achieved through Government support; however this was conducted by merely a handful of friends and family. Results are already showing that these large number of trained midwives will play a vital role in the prevention of maternal morbidity, mortality and prevention of fistula.

Bibliography

He has regularly writing in the DAWN the largest circulating English newspaper on issues related to medical education and the health care system in Pakistan. While at Dow Medical College he published two novels: * Chimniyan Jall Uth Gaen * Laho Laho Zabanain He has also authored and published a collection of four books :- * ''ILMO AGAHIE KA SAFAR'' * ''AGAHIE KAI CHIRAGH'' * ''AGAHIE KAI NISHAN'' * ''AMRAZ SAE AGAHIE OR HISPATALON KI TAREKH''

Medical Publications

* Gynecological Oncology, Sadiqa Jaffery, Shershah Syed * Textbook for Midwifery (Urdu) * Emergency Obstetrical Care for Midwives (Urdu) * Emergency Obstetrical Care for Family Physicians * Where Women has no Doctor (Urdu) * Easy Midwifery (Urdu) translation of Hesperian foundation publication. * How to teach nursing (Urdu). A book for nursing tutors. * Teaching Midwifery (Urdu). A book for midwifery tutors. * Teaching paramedics and O.T. Technicians (Urdu). * A health hand book for women with disability (Urdu). Hesperian foundation Publication. * Where there is no doctor (Urdu). Hesperian foundation publication.

Radio

He does a weekly radio program on FM105 called IMO AGAHIE KA SAFAR every Sunday to create awareness in fields like science, literature history and philosophy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Syed, Shershah Living people Pakistani surgeons Pakistani obstetricians Pakistani gynaecologists Scientists from Karachi Writers from Karachi 1953 births