Research on breast cancer


By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE, April 16: The University of Health Sciences has launched a research project to identify markers for early diagnosis of breast cancer in Pakistan.

The study, which is being carried out by the university's physiology department in collaboration with the Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute, Islamabad, is first of its kind in the country as it will reveal the role of genetic factors involved in causing breast cancer.

Explaining various facets of the project, UHS physiology department head Prof Muhammad Arslan said here on Saturday the oncology research project was an initiative to lay the foundation for cancer research in the department.

Using breast cancer as a model, he said, these efforts would increase understanding of the biological events that enabled cancer progression leading directly to improved strategies for early detection, prognostication, prediction of response to therapy, and new targets for therapeutic intervention.

Prof Arslan said the incidence of breast cancer varied as much as tenfold between different countries. He, however, said this difference was decreasing because the incidence of disease was on the rise in Asia.

"Although non-genetic factors may explain a significant proportion of the international variation in the rates of breast and ovarian cancer, this project focuses on genetic predisposition conferred by mutations in two genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) in particular, as they contribute to breast cancer in Pakistani women," he said.

UHS vice-chancellor Prof Malik Husain Mubashar said the university was focusing on development of interdisciplinary areas of research and clinical investigators. "The oncology project will increase research opportunities for undergraduate life-science students, medical scholars and PhD fellows," he said.

He said the project would help enhance the extent and quality of cancer research at the university, besides improving facilities for patients in the country.

He said the project had five themes - carcinogenesis, early detection and cancer prevention; cancer epidemiology; identification of genetic biomarkers; cell cycling and signalling; and cancer and immunity.

Research on Breast Cancer in the Transportation Sub-Forum?

Mod please move!

Restoration plan for FJ hospital




By A Correspondent

MULTAN, April 21: The abandoned Fatima Jinnah Women Hospital is to be restored as a hospital of gynaecology under the Women Health Project funded by the Asian Development Bank. Khwaja Jalaluddin Roomi, the chairman of the board of management of the Nishter Medical College, told Dawn here on Thursday that the PC-1 of the FJWH rehabilitation project had been submitted to the provincial government.

He said initially an ADB grant of Rs12.7 million would be extended for the venture under the WHP. He said the proposed hospital would start working as 25-bed facility, which would later be enhanced to the 40-bed.

Mr Roomi said the FJWHs rehabilitation project was proposed by the NMC&H BoM to lessen pressure of the patients at the gynaecology department of the Nishter hospital. He said apart from the ADB grant, the provincial and district governments would also contribute to the FJWH’s rehabilitation project.

He, however, said it had yet to be decided that whether the gynaecology hospital would work under the NMC&H or the district health department.

When asked about the stance of NMC&H BoM’s on the sexual harassment incident involving an orthopaedic surgeon of the hospital, Mr Roomi iterated that the Nishter’s BoM had never been by asked the provincial health department to submit a report on the incident.

He said on Wednesday he was in Lahore only to attend a meeting about the FJWH’s rehabilitation. However, he said, the NMC&H BoM backed the report submitted by the hospital’s principal executive officer Prof Dr Shabbir Nasir which he had attached while forwarding the complaint of sexual harassment to the provincial health department authorities.

Dr Nasir had discussed the report with me before sending it to the authorities concerned, he added.

It may be added here that after receiving the complaint and the preliminary findings of the NMC&H management, the provincial health department authorities had reportedly recommended suspension of the orthopedic surgeon allegedly involved in the sexual harassment of a woman patient.

However, the matter hit by snags at the CMs secretariat.

Mid East Hospital in Karachi closed down, sold to builders

KARACHI: One of the most prestigious and well-equipped hospitals of Karachi, Mid East Hospital, has been sold to some builders who plan to build multi-storey shopping centres and residential apartments there.

The hospital, spread over one acre of land and situated on the main Clifton Road between Schon Circle and the Do Talwar roundabout, was inaugurated in 1976 by the then chief minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. It was founded by reputed cardiologist Dr Ghaffar Jatoi. Mir Murtaza Bhutto, brother of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and chairman of the PPP (SB), breathed his last at this hospital on September 20, 1996, after his entourage was fired upon by the police. A senior doctor of the hospital said the majority of the doctors at the hospital were specialists in their fields and undergraduate doctors associated with the hospital were very few in number. staff report

What the?? and dont we need a good hospital?

http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/20/local4.htm

KARACHI: Mall may replace Mideast hospital

By Azizullah Sharif

KARACHI, May 19: The Mideast Medical Centre in Clifton, which was set up in a five-storey building on two residential plots in Block 9, KDA Scheme-5, also known as Kehkashan, has been sold by its owner. It is widely believed that a shopping complex may be set up there. But, the relevant departments of the city government have not yet been informed about the transaction, and are unaware whether the premises would continue to be used as a hospital or put to some other use.

Sources in the city government said the plot No G-2/A, measuring 3,640 sq- yd, was originally allotted to Ms Perveen Ahmed Ali in 1962 for Rs28 per sq- yd. The same was leased out on March 23, 1972.

Ms Ali sold her plot to Dr Abdul Ghaffar Jatoi through a registered sale deed and mutation was allowed by the Karachi Development Authority (defunct) on Oct 25, 1972.The other plot (G-3), measuring 3,696 sq-yd, was originally allotted to Mr Shafiq Siagol at the rate of Rs30 per sq-yd. It was on the basis of a joint application that the transfer of the plot was effected in favour of Dr A Ghaffar Jatoi on Oct 21, 1972. These two plots were amalgamated by KDA on August 20, 1973.

Later, in pursuance of the then Sindh local government minister’s order of June 26, 1973, Mr Jatoi was allowed to use the amalgamated plot as a clinic.

Finally, the title of the land was transferred in favour of the Mideast Medical Centre on June 10, 1975.

Though no amalgamation fee was recovered to facilitate the hospital’s construction, it was observed that KDA should have charged commercial rate from the applicant.

Besides, the then minister for housing and town planning, Jam Sadiq Ali, wrote a letter to the KDA’s then acting director-general, requesting him to withdraw the NUF (non-utilisation fee) challan against the plot, as it was being used for a hospital.

The matter of charging commercial rates from the allottee of the amalgamated plot was twice referred to the KDA governing body by the authority’s Member (Technical), Z.A. Nizami, and the governing body through a resolution (No 724 of 5.11.81) resolved: “The allottee shall have to pay occupancy value to be determined on the basis of average official price of commercial plots within the area at the time of grant of permission for using the plot for hospital in 1973.”

Another resolution No 737 adopted by the governing body on Aug 16, 1982, inter alia said: “An inquiry be made from the transferee of plot No G-3, Block 9, Clifton, supported by documents and evidence if any free services are being provided by the medical centre to poor patients with a view to ascertain that Mideast Medical Centre is not being run purely on commercial basis, but is also a charitable organisation to a certain extent. And, the case be then put up to the governing body again for a decision.”

However, the rates were calculated at Rs231 per sq-yd on the basis of average auction price of 1973.

The plots were allotted for residential purposes at the rate of Rs28 and 30 per sq-yd and a difference of Rs202 per sq-yd was to be paid by the allottee.

The difference of amount under the head of occupancy value was calculated at over Rs1.4 million in 1979 by the KDA’s then director for Land Management, Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui.

And according to well-placed sources, this amount must have been multiplied several times, as surcharge levied on occupancy value cannot be exempted.

At present, occupancy value is being levied at 18 per cent of full occupancy value, besides commercialization rates for Clifton area falling in the A-One category are charged at Rs8,500 per sq-yd.

At the time of amalgamation, two senior citizens, residing in the vicinity of the plots, had written letters to the then Sindh chief minister, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, requesting him to intervene in the matter and get the hospital’s construction stopped, as both plots were exclusively meant for residential purposes.

The senior citizens’ plea was that construction of a hospital on residential plots in an exclusively residential area would not only amount to usurping the right of privacy but would also disturb the peaceful life of neighbourhood. It was rejected by the then minister for housing and town planning on Sept 23, 1974.

The rejection followed a summary prepared by the then provincial secretary for housing and town planning department, Mazhar Rafi.

The summary, which was put forward to the chief minister through the minister, was passed as an order. It stated: “The permission in this case for multi-storey building was allowed to save space and to encourage vertical construction in the much cherished and costly locality. The objection raised is, therefore, not entertainable and rejected.”

The order further said: “Dr Abdul Ghaffar Jatoi purchased the residential plots from open market and requested that two plots be amalgamated and he may be allowed to build a five-storey hospital. The request was agreed to by the minister (HTP) as a special case. The building plans were approved by KDA accordingly and construction of hospital is in progress.”

NAZIM’s VERSION: When the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, was approached by Dawn to get his comments on the issue, he said: “Since the plot was originally a residential plot and was wrongly used as hospital after treating it as a commercial plot, now after the hospital’s closure, the plot should be reverted back to residential category.

However, if at any time, subsequently, it is decided to use it (plot) as commercial building for a high-rise, hospital or otherwise, it should be treated as change of land use and commercialization of plot, and commercialization rates as per present rules should be charged,” he added.

well its up too the owner, if he wants to sell his hospital. if the gov. wants the hospital they should buy it them selfs.

This thread has been created for the latest and up-to-date happenings in the field of medical and pharmaceutical research and most importantly the investment in this sector.

Illinois and Pakistani researchers team for nanotechnology cancer cures
(Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are teaming up with counterparts in Pakistan to develop nanotechnologies which will identify potential cancer therapies which utilize native medicinal plants.
The Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is rich in such remedial sources, most of which remain untouched, explained Kenneth Watkin, co-director and lead principle investigator (PI) for the Nanomedicine for Cancer research project, which is being funded by the Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperative Program.
"My research focuses on the development and application of new methods of biomedical imaging for diagnosis and treatment," stated Watkin, a professor in the College of Applied Health Sciences. Pakistan is among the eight leading exporters of medicinal plants. There is a need to build partnerships that help provide the infra-structure and training for the application and utilization of recently developed new rapid screening techniques for evidenced based evaluation of various plant extracts.
Watkins stated that proteins, the key elements of the biological machinery, are involved in a variety of functions such as modulation of the immune system, regulation and processing of hormones, protein degradation and processing, signal transduction, programmed cell death etc. in addition to the normal metabolic processes.
"We have employed a new label-free optical bio-sensor system for high throughput evaluation," said Watkin, who is also the director of the Medical Imaging Research Laboratory, which is a part of the Bioimaging Science and Technology Group at Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
"This new bio-sensor system is being used for rapid evaluation of the breast cancer apoptotic potential of plant extracts. Our preliminary research revealed several potential extracts that kill breast cancer cells. The potential cancer treatment extract candidates will progress to clinical evaluation," stated co-PI Brian Cunningham, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois.
"The application of this type of nanomedicine technology has enormous potential not only for the treatment of cancer but also for the medicinal plant industry in Pakistan. Applications include high throughput pharmaceutical compound screening, molecular diagnostics, PCR, electrophoresis, label-free microarrays, proteomics, environmental detection, and whole-cell assays," said Irfan Ahmad, associate director for the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, who is a co-director/co-PI on the project.
"This research award also highlights the College of Engineering's (COE) growing partnerships with other colleges on campus such as the Applied Health Sciences through the UI Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST)," stated COE dean Ilesanmi Adesida.
"The research also will be conducted at the newly established bionanotechnology section of the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory," said Ahmad. The University of Illinois research team includes Watkin, Ahmad, Cunningham, and Hanafy Fouly, a research specialist/plant pathologist in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science at the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. The co-director/PI on the Pakistani side of the project is Atiya Abbasi of the International Center for Chemical Sciences, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine & Drug Research at the University of Karachi.
The joint research proposalsubmitted under the Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperative Program for 2006was one of only 13 selected from among the 121 applications. The selection committee has recommended U.S. funding for the project at a total level of $250,000 over three years (February 1, 2007 to January 31, 2010).
As stated in the proposal, Pakistan has the third highest cancer rate of all thirteen South-Central Asian countries. The most prevalent cancers for men are, in rank order, lung, bladder, esophagus, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and colon cancer. The most prevalent cancers for women, in rank order, are breast, oral, ovarian and cervical cancer.
More than 70% of the developing world's population still depends on the complementary and alternative systems of medicine (CAM).Evidence-based CAM therapies have shown remarkable success in healing acute as well as chronic diseases. There is a definite need to design training and capacity-building programs for the CAM practitioners who need such continuing education, hence bringing them into the mainstream and elevating their status in society.

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1283.php

KARACHI: 5 cities to be linked with telemedicine system: minister

KARACHI, Jan 21: Sindh Minister for Health Syed Sardar Ahmed has said that fives major cities of the province would be linked with the telemedicine system in order to provide better healthcare facilities to the rural and urban population.

He was presiding over a meeting held here to finalise the recommendations for the ‘e-health project’.

Mr Ahmed said that provision of better healthcare facilities to the people of Sindh was among the top priorities of the government.

He said the telemedicine system would initially be introduced in five districts for which survey work had been started, adding that in the first phase, Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Larkana, Badin and Sukkur would be linked with this system.

He said that a summary in this regard would be sent to the chief minister soon and an MoU would be signed between the provincial government and the e-health project authority.

The minister said that the Sindh government would provide all the funds required for this project.

He said that a standing committee comprising representatives from the two sides would be constituted to run this project and carry out monitoring, evaluation and checks.

Secretary Health Dr Naushad Sheikh, Additional Secretaries Mr Majid and Manzoor Memon, and Dr Zakiuddin Ahmed were present at the meeting.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/22/local16.htm

Government to make Pakistan, a symbol of quality healthcare: PM
Written by pub
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday said the government was taking appropriate measures to provide quality healthcare to common man and was committed to make Pakistan a symbol of pride in terms of medical facilities.

He was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of state-of-the-art Medical Tower at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences here.
The 16-storey multi-purpose tower, to be built at a cost Rs 2.2 billion, is the brainchild of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. It is aimed at providing modern medical care to the people at one place.

Shaukat Aziz said the project would bring about a positive change in medical history of the country and this has been the result of government's consistent policies.
He termed it a gigantic step forward which would not only ensure best medical facilities but also create about 2,000 jobs for doctors, paramedics and other staff.

Shaukat Aziz said the PIMS Medical Tower would prove to be the manifestation of up-to-date healthcare and technology where required diagnostics would be provided.
For treatment of heart diseases, latest equipment had already arrived at the PIMS, enlisting Pakistan among a few countries of Asia with the same facility, he added.

He said Pakistan had a pool of most competent and qualified doctors and they just need opportunities to explore their potential.
Shaukat Aziz termed PIMS a centre of medical expertise and appreciated its efforts in treating the quake-affected people.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the government was also working on preventive healthcare programme including HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis by creating awareness among the people about the used syringes.
He also referred to other health-related projects including fight against blindness and the maternal mortality.
Shaukat Aziz also urged the private sector to shoulder responsibilities of the government in its endeavours to provide the people quality healthcare.
He appreciated the role being played by Shifa International Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital and an excellent cancer hospital in Lahore.
Federal Minister for Health Nasir Khan said the Medical Tower would help centralization of diagnostic services at the PIMS.
He said it would provide such facilities which are presently non-existent in the country including urogynaecology, stem-cell research, molecular biology etc.
He said 360 beds, out of the 506-bed facility at the Medical Tower, would be for the general patients and the rest of 96, would be for the middle class population.
Dr Fazle-Hadi, Executive Director PIMS said the hospital will enjoy world standard as it will have all the amenities and facilities for the patients from other countries.
He said the ground and the first floors would comprise diagnostic facilities including pathology laboratory and clinics.
A new Operation Theatre Complex will also be constructed to cater for increasing number of patients whereas the building will also have an auditorium and a library.

http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2561&Itemid=2

Harvard International Medical team meets Soomro
Written by pub
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 (APP): Acting President, Mohammedmian Soomro stated Tuesday that the government is making all out efforts to expand quality Medicare in the country and to expand the coverage to the far-flung areas.
He was talking to a delegation of the Harvard Medical International currently visiting Pakistan, which called on him at the Parliament House.

He said health and education are being accorded a high priority by the Government and their budgetary allocations have also been enhanced substantially to cover the bulk of the population.
He said that the quality of medical education in Pakistan is very high and this fact is being recognized the world over.
The country is producing eminent doctors, dedicated nurses and paramedics.
He welcomed the idea of setting up of medical education city and medical complex near Islamabad and said that it is a new concept adding that the Government would extend all possible cooperation in this regard.
It may be stated that the Harvard Medical International team is currently on a visit to Pakistan to explore the possibilities of opening a medical college with 500 bed hospital in DHA Islamabad with state-of-the-art facilities.

http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2590&Itemid=2

Rs2 billion medical complex for the elite

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has called for world-class medical facilities in all four provinces. He was speaking on Thursday at the groundbreaking ceremony of the first of the two elitist medical towers being built in the country.

The tower is being constructed at a cost of over Rs2 billion in the premises of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and will house a 500-bed hospital catering to the affluent.

The 14-storey tower will house an emergency ward, operation theatres, private rooms, the VIP floors, presidential suites, consultation rooms, diagnostic centre and a small general ward.

Another similar tower is planned inside the premises of Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, which will house a 13-storey building at a cost of Rs3.418 billion.

This state-of-the-art plan is the idea of Prime Minister and is out of sync with the existing health services where majority of the population has no access to primary healthcare, emergency obstetrical care or emergency services.

About 25 per cent of the population lives below poverty line and almost 74 per cent on $2 a day. The government itself spends some one per cent of its GDP on health. The prime minister is of the opinion that these towers would be a gigantic step forward in healthcare to catch up with the rest of the world.

Medical towers show our determination to enhance, expand and improve health facilities, he told the gathering adding: The towers would be a manifestation of the country’s excellence in medical care, diagnostics services and the use of technology.

Shuakat Aziz said the Islamabad tower alone will create some 2,000 jobs and asked the health ministry to ensure a fair share for womenfolk. He praised the contribution of private sector in the provision of health services and laid emphasis on encouraging it.

He appreciated Imran Khan, Chief of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf for running a cancer hospital in Lahore. The hospital is doing a great service and is fulfilling a major need of the country, he added.

He highlighted weaker links in medical system – shortage of paramedics and nurses and directed health ministry to launch a crash programme for overcoming shortage on war-footings. The resource availability for expenditure on health has improved due to the pursuance of one set of policies, he added.

Federal minister for health Nasir Khan said once the tower was functional it will provide medical facilities which previously were non-existent.

http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/24/top7.htm

KARACHI, March 9: Sindh may establish seven regional blood transfusion centres with the financial and technical support of Germany, said officials in the provincial blood transfusion agency.

It is learnt that the German Development Bank (Kfw) and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) are at present working on a plan to establish regional blood transfusion centres in the four provinces and Azad Jammu Kashmir to ensure supply of safe blood to patients. If things go according to plan, the project will pickup in a month or so, said a source privy to the relevant feasibility study.

A team of representatives from German agencies and National Aids Control Programme (NACP) Islamabad completed survey of various blood transfusion services in Karachi recently and indicated that the proposed blood transfusion centres could be established at some government premises, either by upgrading a few existing blood banks or establishing entirely new centres on lands available with referral hospitals in strategic areas of the province.

A briefing was also held at Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA), which was attended by senior officials of Sindh Health Department, Dr Imran Masud, Technical Adviser to the German agencies, Dr Omer Farooq Kundi of NACP and Professor Smit Sabinga.

Making a presentation on the working and future programmes of the provincial transfusion authority, Secretray SBTA Dr Zahid Hasan Ansari, said that in order to ensure safe blood supply to patients, efforts were underway to enhance voluntary and regular blood donations in the province.

However, there was need to procure equipment and supplies for processing, storage and transportation of blood, which involved the provision of regular budget for screening of five diseases (HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis and Malaria) to ensure sustainable service and better results, besides capacity building of blood bank staff.

Dr Ansari said public sector teaching hospitals, district hospitals and taluka/tehsil hospitals needed between 1,000 to 1,900 blood units daily. He suggested regional transfusion centres with the support of the German government could be established in the first phase at Karachi which would have three centres. Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah would have one centre each.

Dr Omer Farooq, told Dawn on Wednesday that the safe blood transfusion wing of the NACP had initiated a plan to set up regional and centralised blood centres for state of the art screening of blood received from donors and effective monitoring and timely and safe blood transfusion.

The two German organisations, Germany-GTZ and Kfw, had completed their initial meetings with officials in the provinces and were keen to provide funds for the proposed centralised transfusion centres and extend cooperation in the training component of the project, he added.

Under the project the regional centres would be funded for five years by foreign agencies and thereafter it would be the respective governments in the provinces that would sustain the centres.

He informed that the fund and technical cooperation agencies of Germany had indicated that at present work to set up 28 regional centres through out the country would be undertaken.

The number of proposed centres is: Sindh-7, Punjab-8, Balochsitan-3, NWFP-7 and AJK-3. A consensus seminar involving representatives of various institutions is being held on March 14 in Islamabad, following which formal development strategies at the level of governments would be shaped, he said.

http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/10/local1.htm

KARACHI: Pakistan on top of S. Asian smokers list :ohno:

By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI, Nov 7: The per person consumption of cigarette per year in Pakistan is the highest in South Asia with Rs560 million going into smoke daily and making smoking become the single most important risk factor to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide.

This was observed by experts and other participants of a seminar held at the Aga Khan University auditorium here on Tuesday to mark the 6th annual World COPD Day. Dr Mohammad Irfan, Prof Nawal Salahuddin, Prof Javaid Khan and Dr Suleman Haque spoke at the seminar on the theme: “Breathless not helpless”.

About the prevalence of COPD, Dr Mohammad Irfan said the devastating lung disease that progressively robbed the sufferer of breath was the fifth leading cause of death in the high-income countries and sixth leading cause of death in the low- and middle-income states.

“More than three million people die from the disease every year. In Pakistan, the estimated COPD mortality rate is 71 deaths per 100,000, the fourth highest rate among the 25 most populous nations in the world,” said Dr Irfan, adding that cigarette smoking was the single most important cause of COPD. He said that 73 per cent of COPD mortality was related to smoking.

According to the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) report of August 2002, cigarettes consumption per person per year in Pakistan was the highest in South Asia. A speaker cited an AKU report to point out that 1,200 children in the age group of 6-16 years took up smoking every day in Pakistan.

Dr Salahuddin discussed the symptoms of COPD which include coughing, bringing up sputum and getting out of breath during exercise or exertion. The causes of COPD include exposure to occupational dust and chemicals and indoor smoke from biomass fuel.

He said the treatment was available but its effectiveness depended on the stage of diagnosis.

The speakers urged the government to take measures to reduce the burden of COPD on the national exchequer. The measures included creating public awareness of the hazards of smoking, imposition of a ban on tobacco advertising, increasing tax on tobacco product and stopping tobacco companies from sponsoring sports and entertainment events to promote their business.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/08/local11.htm

Laser technology provided to 36 hospitals for the blind

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Health Ministry has provided state of the art laser technology to 36 hospitals across the country under a blindness control programme, said a press release issued on Thursday.

According to press release, there are 45 million blind people in the world, with an estimated 1.4 million blind children. In Pakistan there are 1.5 million blind people, with 60 thousand blind children.

There are many causes of blindness, but the leading cause in adult blindness is cataract and diabetic retinopathy. People, who are between 55 and 70 years of age, normally suffer with cataract problem. Under this cause, the lens becomes cloudy, whereas diabetic retinopathy is caused due to diabetes. Blindness occurs in children due to corneal scar, which occurs due to Vitamin A deficiency. 80 percent cases of blindness are preventable, making blindness a preventable disease.

The federal government is playing a vital role for the control of blindness and launched ‘National Programme for Prevention and Control of Blindness’ in 2005.

Under this programme, the federal government has upgraded 36 hospitals of the country by providing them state of the art laser technology. Out of these 36, three centres of excellence, three tertiary teaching hospitals (TTH), and thirty district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals, including 9 in Punjab, 5 in Sindh, 6 in NWFP, 6 in Balochistan, 2 in Northern Areas and 2 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The federal government has also launched a laser-training programme at the college of Allied Vision Science in Lahore to train doctors in laser technology. online

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\11\09\story_9-11-2007_pg7_56

ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The health ministry’s Departmental Develop-ment Working Party (DDWP) on Wednesday approved the health waste disposal project for Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) focusing on installation of incinerator at the hospital.

A similar incinerator would be installed at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi.

The PC-I for the installation of incinerator at Pims had been approved a couple of years ago, but the health ministry had sought its revision saying the most modern and environmentally safe incinerators should be installed. The health ministry, however, made the approval of the PC-I subject to its certification by Pak Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA).

The incinerator at Pims, besides serving the needs of the hospital, would also cater for the requirements of other hospitals in the capital. Tons of hospital waste is daily produced in Islamabad, which is largely disposed of untreated.

Besides, over Rs62 million hospital waste disposal project for both the hospitals, the health ministry approved eight other projects valued at Rs230 million including the all important project, “Establishment of National Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HEPR) Centre”.

Other projects include “Upgradation of Nursing School at Federal Government Services Hospital” at a cost of Rs39.927 million with the objective to provide improved teaching facilities to train about 200 nurses annually in the upgraded facility. The project will be completed within two years.

A project for “Establishment of National Resource Centre for Raw Materials of Traditional Medicine” at National Institute of Health (NIH) costing Rs28.069 million was also approved. The project is aimed at promoting cultivation/land propagation of medicinal and aromatic plants of therapeutic and commercial value, conducting feasibility studies for the cultivation of useful medicinal plants, and developing a national database of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Keeping in view the demand for a model allergy centre, the DDWP approved upgradation of Allergy Centre at NIH at a cost of Rs39.876 million that will take three years to complete.

For safe disposal of hospital waste, two projects, to be executed at Pims Islamabad and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi with a combined cost of Rs62.686 million, were also approved, subject to clearance by the environmental protection agency.

The DDWP approved in principle a project “National Tobacco Control Programme” at a cost of Rs39.86 million that is aimed at reducing exposure to smoke at all places of work, public transport and public places through provision of specific guidelines. The project is also aimed at putting in place tobacco related disease surveillance system.

To prepare disaster risk management plans for each level of health care facilities including management of mass casualties and epidemics, a project for “Establishment of National Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HEPR) Centre” in Islamabad costing Rs39.747 million was approved.

Other projects include setting up Federal Medical Centre at Lahore, Strengthening of Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) for activities related to Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).

Dr. Mansoor Khan, CEO of DiagnosisONE, recently met with Mr. Mohammed Mian Soomro, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, to discuss the state of public health in Pakistan and the strategies and tactics that can be adopted to improve delivery of care.

DiagnosisONE was recently selected by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop a National Public Health Information Network in Pakistan. DiagnosisONE's D1.Surveillance system, which will be operational in Pakistan this year, will help public health officials access, collect and report data about real or potential outbreaks of communicable diseases. Recent public health threats, including an outbreak of bird flu that killed one person in December, have increased the need for integrated disease surveillance.

"The Pakistan government is very supportive of efforts to implement an integrated disease surveillance system. This technology will be vital for introducing internationally recognized standards of care to our country," said Prime Minister Soomro. "The private sector needs to be an integral part of efforts to introduce these capabilities in Pakistan. We commend DiagnosisONE for taking the initiative," Mr. Soomro said.

Prior to the meeting, the Prime Minister visited with Khan in the United States and urged him to come forward and help Pakistan improve the information technology infrastructure related to healthcare, which eventually led to the CDC contract.

"We are pleased to introduce a level of healthcare technology that was previously not available to the people of Pakistan. It's very rewarding to know that the system we've implemented will ultimately improve the welfare of millions of people," Khan said.

The new system will, for the first time, also offer an electronic log book consisting of abridged versions of electronic medical records that will be distributed for free to physicians. This resource will allow caregivers to chart patient demographics and health information that can be used to drive care delivery and communicable disease reporting. The D1.Surveillance system is currently used by Puerto Rico, the Massachusetts Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, and the Massachusetts State Laboratory Institute.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101110.php

bit old so just giving link only.Mod plz delet if you don't like it.


http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=125299

LAHORE: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday inaugurated the Cardiac Centre at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

According to a handout issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army Staff General (COAS) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and other civil and military officials were also present.

Musharraf said that the CMH Lahore had taken a giant leap forward by setting up the cardiac centre for the troops. He praised Lahore Corps Commander Lieutenant General Shafaat Ullah Shah and his team for taking the step.

Shah in his welcome address said that heart diseases had increased many folds over the last few years. “The new cardiac centre has been set up to address the ever-increasing heart related health problems,” he said. He said the Lahore Garrison had planned several health projects in line with the COAS’s desire to celebrate the current year as the Year of Solider.

ISLAMABAD: The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) marked the World Health Day on Monday (today) by announcing a cash injection of $41 million for the healthcare system of Pakistan.

The funding will be used to support the National Health Facility ($30 million) and the government's National Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) initiative ($11 million). The government estimated that these programmes could save the lives of up to 65,000 children and 5,000 mothers, and protect 32 million children from polio in 2008.

With one in 10 children not reaching their fifth birthday and every year at least 15,000 women dying from the complications of pregnancy and childbirth, improving healthcare in Pakistan is a real challenge ñ but one that the government is working to address with donors such as the UK.

"In order to reach the Millennium Development Goals, to cut child deaths and improve mother's health, to which Pakistan is committed and signed up to, we must do better than we have. The National Health Facility and the MNCH programme will help get Pakistan on the road there," said Khushnood Lashari, Secretary Health.

"The DFID Pakistan is the major donor in health in Pakistan," said Dr Bile, WHO representative in Pakistan. "In leading by example, it improves confidence in the sector, catalysing inward investment and it has brought about significant direct improvements in services," he added. The DFID support for the National Health Facility has totalled $167 million over the last five years.


http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=105297

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Article/2008/05/04/002/04_05_2008_002_003.jpg

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Photographs/2008/05/06/001/06_05_2008_001_011_001.jpg

http://www.app.com.pk/photo/photo_lib/08-05-2008/d58bd7030936c99e701a2b3625fb9e16.jpg

http://www.app.com.pk/photo/photo_lib/08-05-2008/bcd8f18f080084aef31f1bc79d293839.jpg

Very nice.

Where's Gandhara University?

Where's Gandhara University?

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii109/traPPed_2008/googlemotherfucker.jpg





Its in Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday met a delegation of Depilex Smile Again Foundation, comprising three Italian doctors, at the PM House.

The Italian doctors are currently visiting Pakistan for the proposed 30-bed hospital for the treatment of women with acid burns in Sanghi near Multan. The hospital will be constructed in collaboration with the Italian chapter of Smile Again Foundation.

The prime minister expressed the confidence that the hospital would be a centre of excellence for reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation of women suffering from acid burns or stove explosion burns.

The delegation briefed the prime minister that the hospital would be completed in two years with Rs 380 million. The hospital complex would include shelter homes for patients, physiotherapy centre, operation theatres, vocational training centre, free dispensary and OPD facility. The delegation thanked the prime minister for donating land from his personal property for the Clinical Research Facility to be set up at the hospital.

Yet another health policy

Dr Ghayur Ayub

Sherry Rehman, who holds the health portfolio as additional charge, announced a new health policy the other day. The question in my mind is; why is she in such a hurry to table a new health policy? The little I know about her with our contacts at CoD and ARD meetings in London, she doesn’t seem to be a lady who is usually in a ‘rush’. Before elaborating on this point let me write a few words about the health policies of Pakistan.

The first health policy was formulated in the mid-’80s and was introduced in 1990. It did not adequately cover all areas of Primary Health Care according to Health For All (HFA) strategy of WHO. In December 1997, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved the first comprehensive National Health Policy based on the new definition of health as described by WHO at Alma Ata in 1978. The aim was to provide universal coverage of quality healthcare through an integrated Primary Health Care approach to promote preventive healthcare without ignoring its curative aspect and making good governance as primary target with special emphasis on strengthening the district health system through decentralisation policy of the government using the available facilities.

Based on that principle, the policy was designed on; rationalising human resource development; giving greater responsibility to private sector in health delivery services; empowering community to take active role in the decentralised health system; making health planning scientifically based on research; making the health sector responsive to the current and future challenges; giving priority to the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups through social uplift programmes; addressing the health problems in the community by providing, promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services to which the entire population has effective access; improving the utilisation of health facilities by bridging the gap between the community and the health services; expanding the delivery of reproductive health services including family planning both in urban and rural areas; to gradually integrating existing healthcare delivery programmes like EPI, malaria control, TB, nutrition and MCH within the Primary Health Care (PHC); improving the nutrition status especially of mothers and children and reduce the prevalence of the malnutrition and to promote intersectoral action and coordination at all levels; and providing an overview of the health sector in the country that gives guideline for action in all priority health areas with vision up to the year 2010.

The main strategies were structured on; strengthening the district health system and provide necessary support mechanism in terms of training, and logistics to effectively supervise the performance of health workers at all levels.; ensuring satisfactory staff levels at Rural Health Centres (RHCs) and Basic Health Units (BHUs) and promote the deployment of the female workers as human resource; improving the function of referral system to ensure equitable accessibility to emergency, secondary and tertiary healthcare services; ensuring effective community involvement and bringing about coordination and collaboration between health and the other government sectors and the NGOs; introducing alternative approaches to financing healthcare through involvement of the private sector and the national healthcare schemes having mechanism of strict supervision, monitoring and accountability; integrating all vertical programmes into Primary Health Care (PHC) at the operational levels; promoting innovative control strategies for the prevailing communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, viral hepatitis, acute respiratory infection (ARI) and diarrhoeal diseases; undertaking the control of major prevalent non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes, cancer; taking care of senior citizens; and promoting burns and injury prevention and rehabilitation services as part of the policy.

Thus a national health policy was built on a structural skeleton having; principle interventions of strict equity to ensure universal provision of PHC services; decentralisation to reach the grassroots level and giving the community an active participatory role; establish district planning and implementation cells to arrange short refresher courses for DHOs/ADHOs, health managers and administrators on planning and implementation; need-based planning on realistic and participatory approach, keeping in view the situation, cost analysis, reliable data, disease patterns and the environment; linking the planning cells effectively with Health Management Information System (HMIS) based on “create facilities and reduce liabilities” lines and connecting the recurring budget with the development budget; and forming appropriate standing committees as and when required for coordinating external assistance.

According to the need of the time, the following programmes were prioritised for implementation in a short span of a few months;


PHC & FP with its associated activities

National Drug Policy

Poverty Alleviation Programme based on Basic Minimum Needs programme of WHO

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) Ordinance

COME (Community Oriented Medical Education) activity in medical education

Dialysis programme

Epidemic/Disaster Preparedness.(DEWS)

Health Management Information System (HMIS)

Social Action Programme Projects (SAPP).


In 1999, when the country was targeted by the terrorists with bomb blasts, a few new activities were proposed for inclusion in the policy. They were; mosque and health project; making communication maps especially in tribal belt (this activity was initiated and such a map was made of the border areas of Baluchistan during immunisation days in 1999); using health activities as tools to counter terrorism; and making nationwide database for multi-faceted productive purposes.

After the military takeover in 1999, most of the ongoing activities had retarded. Then, in 2001, the government announced a new health policy with 10 salient features, labelled as: ‘concretising the Vision: Ten Specific Areas of Reforms’. It covered; communicable diseases, such as EPI cluster of childhood diseases; TB; malaria; Hepatitis B; and HIV-AIDS; addressed inadequacies in primary,/secondary healthcare services; removal of professional and managerial deficiencies in district health system; promoting greater gender equity; bridging the basic nutrition gaps in the target-population; correcting urban bias in the health sector implementation modalities; introducing required regulation in the private medical sector with a view to ensuring proper standards of equipment and services in hospitals, clinics and laboratories as well as private medical colleges and Tibb/Homoeopathic teaching institutions; create mass awareness in public health matters; improving the drug sector with a view to ensuring the availability, affordability and quality of drugs in the country; and finally capacity building for health policy monitoring in the Ministry of Health. This was called the Health Policy of 2001.

Again in 2005, the government came up with another NHP with a preamble, ‘The Health Sector Reform agenda is being carried forward in keeping with the strategic direction of the National Health Policy 2001’. It included nine core programmes of; National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care; EPI; National AIDS Control Programme; Malaria Control Programme; National TB Control Programme; Nutrition Programme; Women Health Project; Prime Minister’s Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis in Pakistan; and finally, National Programme for Prevention and Control of Blindness in Pakistan.

It turns out that the two ‘health policies’ were no more than extension of programmes taken from the health policy introduced by the government of Nawaz Sharif. Why these programmes were announced as ‘policies’ is beyond me. I did my own investigations and found it was a bureaucratic gimmick to attract the attention of the health ministers and to make it seem as if they were doing something new. For example, when ex-health minister Nasir Khan found himself losing credibility, he started working on improving his image; so how better to do that than announcing a new health policy! The then shrewd health secretary formed a special health policy unit employing retired bureaucrats especially from the planning division for this purpose. The unit, as far as I know, is still operative today. Their job is to keep bringing up programmes from the Health Policy of 1997 terming it as ‘new health policy’ giving a morale boost to the health minister. Once I asked a key member of this gimmick show why they didn’t call them the programmes of Health Policy of 1997? To which he replied, ‘linking anything with Nawaz Sharif will put us in hell’. What he said then about the politicians running the Health Ministry is unrepeatable. This brings me back to the initial question of why is Sherry Rehman in such a hurry to table new health policies. I wonder if the smart Sherry is getting trapped like her two predecessors by the mostly retired officials of the health policy unit who want to still prove their ‘usefulness’?


statesman.com.pk (http://www.statesman.com.pk/opinion/op1.htm)

KARACHI, May 26: The Sin-dh government is working on a plan to induct 11,000 doctors, nurses, technical staff and paramedics in the health department for various health care facilities across the province.

This was stated by Sindh Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmad while talking to a gathering of newsmen from the print and electronic media on Monday. The minister said he realised that there was a dire need to ensure availability of doctors at various hospitals and health units both in the urban and rural areas.

He said that a number of health care facilities developed with huge public money were still either to be commissioned or were performing below the desired standard due to shortage of general and specialised cadre doctors, nurses and technical persons.

He said that sanctioned new expenditures pertaining to about 4,000 doctors and other staff had already been approved by the relevant authorities while work was in progress for sanctioned new expenditures of about 7,000 medical staffers.

He said the government wanted that doctors, either already working or likely to be recruited, should discharge their duties at their original places of postings in order to improve the health care delivery system particularly in the rural areas.

The minister said he personally felt that efforts should be made to utilise the existing health care facilities at the optimum, instead of going for new development works. “We have buildings without doctors, which needed to be addressed on a priority basis,” he observed.

Replying to a question, Dr Ahmed said the issue of appointment of doctors in general and specialised cadres as well as nurses on a contract basis, which was initiated last year by the previous government and later on by the caretaker government, could be re-evaluated, if needed.

He said that the health department believed in improving its working on the curative, preventive and administrative fronts so that both in rural and urban areas people could be provided with affordable healthcare facilities.

The annual development budget of the government was likely to be raised up to Rs3,000 million in the coming financial year, he added.

The minister told a questioner that a regular medical superintendent for the Civil Hospital Karachi would be posted in the first week of June. About the proposed trauma centre, he said, a site had already been finalised where it would be established on a fast track as the city urgently needed such a centre to cater to the needs of accidents and emergency patients.

^^Sounds like a jiyala bhartee scheme.

Maybe I missed something in the article, but where are they going to induct the 11,000 health professionals from?

BAHAWALPUR, May 30: The Institute for Neuro Sciences, which was planned to be set up in Bahawalpur, has been shifted to Lahore, District Nazim Tariq Cheema said on Friday.

Talking to Dawn, Cheema said the government had deprived the area of this institute, which was to be built with an estimated cost of Rs2 billion. He said that a Rs100 million grant, which was due to be released for PC-1 of the institute, had been withheld.

Former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi announced the institute when he visited Bahawalpur in 2007 to participate in the convocation of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC). The institute was to be affiliated with QAMC.

QAMC Principal Prof Dr Mazharul Attique said the government had conveyed them nothing so far in writing. He however said the government had not released funds needed to initiate work on the project.

Punjab Minister for Special Education Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar said if the report of the institute’s shifting to Lahore was correct it would be brought back to Bahawalpur. He said the institute was meant for the general public, not meant for any individual or the district nazim.

The Sindh government would soon set up three centres of Prevention-of-Parents-to-Child-Transmission (PPTCT) of HIV-positive programme to prevent the spread of the virus among new born babies, said Provincial Program Manager Enhanced HIV/AIDS Control Programme Dr. Muhammad Nasir Jalbani. He said that with the prevention and treatment of HIV-positive pregnant women, chances of transmitting the virus to infants would become 1 percent, as opposed to the present rate of 33 percent.

Talking exclusively to The News at his office on Thursday, Jalbani said that these centres would be established at government hospitals in Hyderabad, Larkana and Nawabshah.

The centres will be set up in collaboration with UNICEF. A fourth centre has already been established at Qatar Hospital in Karachi, where a HIV-positive woman from delivered a child last week. He said that 26 existing surveillance centres and 46 STI (sexually transmitted infections) clinics would be improved upon to control HIV/AIDS in the province.

Jalbani said that the PC-I for launching the AIDS control programme for 2008-2013 has been prepared and had been sent to the federal government for approval. The programme is being launched with the financial assistance of the World Bank (WB). The estimated cost for this five-year programme was about Rs1740 million, of which the WB will contribute Rs1164million, while the Sindh government will supply Rs576million. He hoped that the programme would be launched in July.

The focus of the programme, he added, was upon high-risk population groups including injected drug users (IDUs), sex workers and jail inmates. Rehabilitation of patients, advocacy, community awareness, training and research on the subject are also included in the programme.

According to Jalbani, the last five-year programme was also funded by the WB. The output of the programme has been positive, with more than 2700 doctors having been trained. Under the forthcoming programme, about 3,000 more medical officers as well as health workers and paramedical staff would be imparted with the necessary training.

Jalbani also explained that patients suffering from tuberculosis (TB) were prone to contracting HIV-positive due to their weaker immunity system.

He said that his department has recently started collaborating with the TB-control programme in Sindh in order to protect these patients.

As of March 2008, there were a total of 2,150 confirmed cases of HIV/Aids in Sindh, Jalbani said, adding that the total number of confirmed cases of HIV/AIDS in the country up till December 2007 were 4,502. This indicated that about 50 percent of all cases belonged to Sindh. He attributed this high incidence of HIV/AIDS to population influx to the province and the presence of a high number of injecting drug users (IDUs). He added that the incidence of HIV/AIDS cases was increasing among individuals below 24 years of age because of high risk behaviours.

Jalbani said that there are an estimated number of 90,000 cases of HIV/AIDS in the country that have not been reported, of which approximately 35,000 cases are suspected to exist in the province. According to Jalbani, 80 percent cases could be attributed to Karachi alone.

Ooga used to live in Karachi so that makes sense.

On a serious note, it's worrying why there's so much AIDS in Karachi.

I have a study that says that 98% of the Pakistani truckers screw prostitutes, and 70% of those screw males/heejras/young boys. That's pretty alarming and part of reason why there's so much AIDS. Surprisingly, most of them knew about condoms but only about 30% used them.

It's an amazing study into the sexual and drug lives of the Pakistani truckers.

On one of my visits to Pakistan a couple of years ago, I got to know one of the "local" girls in the Heera Mandi through a friend. Anyways, I visited her and her family in their family home a couple of times simply because I was fascinated and wished to learn a little more about their lives in this notorious part of the city (an interest which I developed having read Taboo by Dr Fauzia Saeed (a highly interesting book which expands on her social study of this sub-culture)).

Anyways, one of the most disturbing aspects which I discovered (and, believe me, there were many) was the fact that these girls did not insist on their "patrons" using any form of sexual protection. The view was that Pakistani men are reluctant to use protection and any insistance by these girls that their patrons use protection would simply mean that the the men would move on to some other girl who would be more accommodating. And there are plenty of girls who live and work in the hell-hole who would be willing.

In order to avoid pregnancies, the girls simply had regular contraceptive shots (injections)!!

I was truly shocked and lost for words at what I had heard and wished that there was some better way of educating the masses on the horriffic consequences of STDs.

Somebody should make all the truckers attend a seminar on STDs. Bet they have no idea what gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphillis and herpes is.

Ooga used to live in Karachi so that makes sense.

Sounds rich coming from a guy who gets a hardon every time he sees a girl! :laugh:

Furthermore, the fact that I am celibate makes your slander sound doubly retarded! You Dimwit! :laugh:

On one of my visits to Pakistan a couple of years ago, I got to know one of the "local" girls in the Heera Mandi through a friend. Anyways, I visited her and her family in their family home a couple of times simply because I was fascinated and wished to learn a little more about their lives in this notorious part of the city (an interest which I developed having read Taboo by Dr Fauzia Saeed (a highly interesting book which expands on her social study of this sub-culture)).

Anyways, one of the most disturbing aspects which I discovered (and, believe me, there were many) was the fact that these girls did not insist on their "patrons" using any form of sexual protection. The view was that Pakistani men are reluctant to use protection and any insistance by these girls that their patrons use protection would simply mean that the the men would move on to some other girl who would be more accommodating. And there are plenty of girls who live and work in the hell-hole who would be willing.

In order to avoid pregnancies, the girls simply had regular contraceptive shots (injections)!!

I was truly shocked and lost for words at what I had heard and wished that there was some better way of educating the masses on the horriffic consequences of STDs.
That's true abroad too. You pay more for doing it without a condom.

^^The key difference is that in Pakistan the expectation and norm is that sex takes place without any protection.

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Article/2008/06/09/182/09_06_2008_182_005.jpg

ISLAMABAD: There is one doctor available for 1,225 persons, one dentist for 19,121 persons, one nurse for 2,501 persons and one lady health visitor for 16,845 persons in Pakistan, the Economic Survey 2007-08 states.

There are 127,859 MBBS doctors, 8,195 dentists, 62,651 nurses, 25,261 midwives and 9,302 lady health visitors available in the country. The health expenditures as percentage of the GDP remained stagnant at 0.6 per cent during 2001-02 to 2007-08, the Economic Survey 2007-08 states which actually showed how much priority the government gave to the most crucial sector related to human health.

Total health expenditures registered an increase of 20 per cent during the outgoing fiscal year 2007-08 as it increased from Rs 50 billion to Rs 60 billion. Out of total Rs 60 billion, the government had allocated Rs 27 billion for development expenditures while Rs 33 billion for current expenditures. The annual growth in population stood at 1.8 per cent.

On education side, the Economic Survey 2007-08 says that the literacy rate climbed to 55% (67% for male and 42% for female) in 2006-07 compared to 54 per cent in 2005-06. Literacy remained higher in urban areas and touched 72% than 45 percent in the rural areas and more in men, 67% as compared to women 42%.

Literacy rate in Punjab stood at 58%, followed by Sindh 55%, NWFP 47% and Balochistan at 42%. Adult literacy rate (age 15 and above) has also increased from 50% in 2004-05 to 52% in 2006-07.

The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) stood at 56% and it is showing improving trends in all the four provinces. Interestingly, the rural areas exhibited higher rates in comparison to the urban areas.

The Economic Survey states a total of 7,242 institutions were added in the year 2007, which have raised the total number of educational institutions to 231,289 in the country. Out of the total institutions, 164,579 are in the public sector and 81,103 in private sector.

There are 86 per cent primary schools in the public sector as compared to 14 per cent in the private sector. At the middle level, only 37 per cent schools are in public sector in comparison to 63% in the private sector. Share of private sector is 70% at vocational/polytechnics level as compared to the public sector. In case of Deeni Madrassa, about 97% are in the private sector. There are total of 30,973 libraries, 22,474 computer labs, 16,658 combined labs and 7,700 student hostels in educational institutions available in the country.

^^ Could you please provide the source for this article? I would like to use it on wikipedia.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=117797

Thanks.

Thanks for the news Singaporean! Lemme read it and then I'll check up on the Economic Survey and the Budget too.

^^ you are welcome.

Btw does anyone know from where I can get hold of the details of the Budget and the Economic Survery???? As I've been to the the Government's website, but I can't find anything! :( :cry:

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Article/2008/06/16/007/16_06_2008_007_003.jpg

Is polio contagious?

KARACHI, June 16: The Sindh government has allocated Rs3027.936 million for 21 new and 62 ongoing health schemes under the annual development programme in the 2007-08 budget.

Last year it had made allocations for 19 new and 61 ongoing health schemes. The government has allocated Rs50 million for the Enhanced HIV/Aids control programme and Rs2.5 million for the reproductive health project against the ongoing foreign project assistance in the new fiscal year.

On the preventive side, the Sindh government intends to spend Rs200 million on the prevention and control of hepatitis in 2008-09 and Rs138 million on the introduction of micro health insurance policy in Sindh as new schemes. However, the two schemes are yet to get the status of approved schemes.

According to the budget documents released on Monday, a maximum amount of Rs1644.924 million will go to the construction and establishment of new wards and facilities and upgrade and expansion schemes at the non-teaching hospitals, while Rs635.896 to 12 new and 18 ongoing schemes at the teaching hospitals.

Rs131.871 million has been allocated for various medical education schemes and Rs497.745 for two new and nine ongoing schemes under the preventives programs.

The new schemes likely to be initiated in teaching hospitals in the new financial year include the renovation of the Sindh Government Hospital Korangi, Civil Hospital Karachi, Lyari General Hospital, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad, Nawabshah Medcial College, Nawabshah, Chandka Medical College Larkana and the GMMMC hospital Sukkur.

Last year the government had announced an allocation of Rs4 million for the master plan of the CHK and another allocation of Rs90.141 million for the establishment of medical ICU and upgrading of the existing laboratory facilities at the CHK but no fund was released. Half of the allocation for the master plan and Rs5 million is likely to be released during 2008-09.

Rs236 million has been allocated for the ongoing schemes pertaining to the establishment of a bone- marrow transplantation unit at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. It is said that 80 per cent physical progress has been made on the project.

Under the head of ongoing schemes for other hospitals, the government has allocated Rs10 million for the establishment of a 30-bed hospital at Nooriabad, Rs5 million for the establishment of a trauma centre at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences. No fund has been released for the Gambat institute during the outgoing fiscal year.

According to budget documents, funds have also been allocated for fresh initiatives such as improvement in the construction of a chest disease hospital in Dadu district, upgrading of seven THQ hospitals to the level of DHQ hospitals at Kambar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Jamshoro, Kashmore, Matiari and Umerkot, people health care initiatives in 13 districts of the province, renovation and rehabilitation of director-general health office at Hyderabad and provision of telemedicine services in Sindh.

The government has also allocated Rs300 for the establishment of a SIUT chapter at Sukkur. However, the new scheme is yet to be approved by the government.

In the medical education sector, the government has allocated Rs5 million for an undergoing scheme pertaining to the establishment of a library as well as purchase of equipment and furniture for the second and third professional departments at the Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur.

LAHORE, June 16: The dialysis centers in all teaching hospitals of Punjab are being revived after eight years or so. If no hassle is faced in getting through the procedure, the decision will help save a patient on an average Rs70,000 per dialysis.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs540 million for health sector in the 2008-09 budget for the purpose. The government has also planned to increase the number of dialysis and kidney centres in teaching hospitals. The total outlay of the health sector budget for 2008-09 fiscal is Rs35 billion, of which Rs26.1 billion are allocated for non-development expenditure and Rs9 billion for development programmes.

Of the total Rs26.1 billion, Rs13 billion and Rs12.6 have been allocated at provincial and district levels, respectively. The total allocation of the budget 2008-09 for the health sector is 38.5 per cent more than that of 2007-08.

The breakup of the expenditure is; Rs10,385.6 million for the hospital services, Rs79.7 million for public health services and Rs559 million for health administration.

Previously, the funds for the health sector reforms used to be included in the current expenditure but now these have been shifted to the annual development programme. Now under the new classification of New Accounting Method (NAM), health education is classified under Education Affairs and Services (EAS).

According to the budget document, the primary objectives of the government include reduction in maternal mortality ratio (MMR), infant mortality rate (IMR), strengthening of primary healthcare with emphasis on rural areas and urban slums, and strengthening of secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities for adequate referral back-up and encouraging public-private partnerships in the health sector.

Of the allocation for development programmes, a sum of Rs2,319 million has been earmarked for health sector reforms programme, Rs741 million for preventive care, Rs520 million for accelerated programme for healthcare, Rs2,210 million for tertiary care hospitals, Rs325 million for medical education and Rs130 million for research and development.

An allocation of Rs820 million has also been provided for up-gradation and setting up of 32 new tehsil and district headquarters hospitals. New DHQ hospitals will be set up in Narowal, Ladhran, Multan and Nankana Sahib and new THQ hospitals in Sharaqpur, Ferozwala, Sarai Alamgir, Qaidabad, Sangla Hill, Shahkot, Kot Radha Kishan, Chak Jhumra, Darya Khan and Jatoi under the development programme 2008-09.

The budget document says that feasibility studies are underway for the establishment of Children Hospital Faisalabad, Cancer Hospital Lahore, Liver Institute Lahore and Neuro-Sciences Institute Lahore. The feasibility study for health insurance will be undertaken leading initially to a pilot programme for health coverage for the poor.

Is polio contagious?

I don't think so :dunno:

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Article/2008/06/23/114/23_06_2008_114_013.jpg

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Article/2008/06/23/117/23_06_2008_117_002.jpg

http://epaper.dawn.com/Web/Article/2008/06/22/123/22_06_2008_123_002.jpg

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan & TREVOSE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A visionary government program to provide clean drinking water throughout Pakistan will use GE ultrafiltration systems at over a thousand distribution sites. This initiative is expected to improve the lives of over one million people by providing them access to treated water that meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

About two thirds of Pakistan’s 169 million people live in rural areas and many do not have access to a consistent supply of safe, clean water. According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as much as 40 percent of hospital beds in Pakistan are occupied by patients suffering from water related diseases. The Homespring ultrafiltration systems will help safeguard human health by efficiently and cost-effectively removing virtually all bacteria and viruses from various water sources. GE’s local partner, Ideal Hydrotech Systems, will be responsible for system installation and operator training during the next 12 months and for the ongoing maintenance of the units.

“We are extremely proud that GE’s Homespring systems are part of this incredible endeavor,” said Jeff Garwood, President and CEO, GE Water & Process Technologies. “Our water filtration capabilities are enabling Pakistan and other nations to bypass costly infrastructure development to quickly and economically provide clean water for people in remote areas.”

“Ideal Hydrotech Systems is very pleased to be working with the Government of Pakistan and the CDWA to bring safe drinking water to the people of our country,” said Nehal Saeed, COO of Ideal Hydrotech Systems, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in Dubai and Pakistan. “The Government of Pakistan has entrusted us with the job of building and operating drinking water plants at nearly 1,200 sites in the North West Frontier Province alone – one for every Union Council or County. We have invested heavily in local resources to meet the needs of the project, including a network of six offices and more than 500 permanent staff. With the continued support of GE, we look forward to working on several similar future projects in Pakistan.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the majority of water-related health problems are caused by microbial contamination. Homespring’s ecomagination-certified ultrafiltration membranes require no chemicals or electricity to filter water through billions of microscopic pores that physically block pathogens from passing into the treated water supply. This is a tremendous benefit for rural communities that can often face power interruptions and significant challenges in reliably transporting and storing large amounts of water treatment chemicals that other systems may require. Homespring can also be paired with GE’s reverse osmosis membranes to remove chemical compounds from source water. In remote areas, GE solar panels can provide electrical power, resulting in a complete, self-sufficient water treatment system.

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http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080623/20080623006058.html?.v=1

Is polio contagious?

I didn't know the answer, so I searched and found this:

What causes polio?

Polio is caused by a virus.

How does polio spread?

Polio is usually spread via the fecal-oral route (i.e., the virus is transmitted from the stool of an infected person to the mouth of another person from contaminated hands or such objects as eating utensils). Some cases may be spread directly via an oral to oral route.

How long does it take to show signs of polio after being exposed?

The incubation period of polio is commonly 6-20 days, with a range of 3-35 days.

What are the symptoms of polio?

Surprisingly, 95% of all individuals infected with polio have no apparent symptoms.

Another 4%-8% of infected individuals have symptoms of a minor, non-specific nature, such as sore throat and fever, nausea, vomiting, and other common symptoms of any viral illness.

About 1%-2% of infected individuals develop nonparalytic aseptic (viral) meningitis, with temporary stiffness of the neck, back, and/or legs. Less than 1% of all polio infections result in the classic "flaccid paralysis," where the patient is left with permanent weakness or paralysis of legs, arms, or both.

How serious is polio?

Although most cases of polio are mild, the 1% of cases resulting in flaccid paralysis have made polio a feared disease for hundreds of years. Of persons with paralytic polio, about 2%-5% of children die and up to 15%-30% of adults die.

How is polio diagnosed?

If a person is suspected of being infected, a sample from their stool or throat should be tested for the poliomyelitis virus.

How long is a person with polio contagious?

Patients infected with the polio virus can pass the virus on for 7-10 days before the onset of disease. In addition, they can continue to shed the virus in their stool for 3-6 weeks.

Is there a treatment for polio?

There is no "cure" for polio. Persons infected with polio need supportive therapy, such as bed rest and fluids. Standard precautions should be taken to avoid passing on the virus through any contamination from the patient's stool.

How common is polio in the world?

In 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the goal of global polio eradication. Although the initial target date of 2000 was not met, substantial progress has been made. In 1988, there were estimated to be 350,000 reported cases of polio in the world; in 2001, just 480 cases were reported in only 10 countries. Unfortunately, rumors about the safety of polio vaccine in 2003, and subsequent refusal of vaccine by many parents in Nigeria, led to an increase in cases and spread of the virus to nearby countries that had previously been polio free. In 2003, there were 784 reported cases; in 2004, there were 1,258 reported cases.

Polio currently exists only in Asia (Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan) and Africa (primarily Nigeria). In 2006, there were 1,906 cases of polio in 16 countries, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Many organizations have been working hard toward eradicating polio including WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rotary International, and many other international and national groups. Strategies include house-to-house vaccination and National Immunization Days, where even warring factions have called temporary cease fires to allow children to be vaccinated.

http://www.vaccineinformation.org/polio/qandadis.asp

Other search results (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Is+polio+contagious&meta=) say that Polio is Highly Contagious.

70 hospitals face fine for poor waste disposal (http://www.dawn.com/2008/06/28/nat27.htm)


By Issam Ahmed

LAHORE, June 27: Seventy hospitals in Punjab have been charged for failing to uphold standards on disposal of hazardous waste and now face fines of up to Rs1 million, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) official told Dawn on Friday.

The list of offenders charged in Lahore includes major health facilities such as Mayo, Services, Jinnah, General, Ganga Ram and Omar hospitals. The Nishter Hospital, Multan, and Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital are among the violators. The notification relates to their failure to follow procedures under the Hospital Waste Management Rules of 2005, according to EIA Deputy Director Nasimur Rehman.

They have now been charged under Section 16 of the Environment Act 1997. He said: “The stench which one comes across in these hospitals is because of their failure to comply with the waste regulations. It poses a serious health risk to patients”.

Each of the offending institutes had been issued with an Environment Protection Order which gave them a deadline of compliance within 10-15 days. The offenders, having failed to meet these deadlines, will now have to appear before a tribunal where they may be fined up to Rs1 million.

The Hospital Waste Manage-ment Rules of 2005 stipulates that all waste deemed to be a ‘risk’ must be collected, stored, segregated, transported and disposed of according to the procedure. Such waste must either be processed in an incinerator or an autoclave.

The Sub-Committee of the Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurance on Saturday asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to propose a new site for re-construction of the present Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH).

The committee which met here under the chair of Senator Ch. Muhammad Anwar Bhidner observed that FGSH known as Polyclinic is struggling desperately to cope with unprecedented growing load of patients in the wake of heavy increase in population.

The committee examined the proposal submitted by the ministry of health for construction of new five-storey hospital in the premises of the Argentina Park and swap with the existing plot of the FGSH.

However, the CDA submitted that conversion of public park into hospital would have diplomatic and other repercussions in addition to criticism in the media which is already critical of construction of roads in the green belt and cutting of trees.

“Public parks are considered to be the sanctified places all over the world and their dismantling is bound to have repercussions,” said the chairman.

The meeting considered another option i.e demolition of 10-12 government quarters located on the left side of the existing hospital for its expansion.

The chairman of the sub-committee observed that this option may be examined closely before working out the modalities. In view of the members of the committee, dislocation of a handful of government servant families could be undertaken for the larger interest of the community and the city as a whole.

The CDA submitted to consider a few other sites like the one near NIH and another near G-10; however, in view of their large distance from the present premises, the suggestion was not found feasible.

Senator Anwar Bhinder observed that present location is ideal one and shifting it would not serve the purpose.

Senator Talha Mahmood, member of the committee suggested to visit the places in his mind for consideration, which was agreed upon. The committee directed the CDA to submit fresh proposals within two-week time.

Secretary Health Syed Javaid Ali Shah, Secretary Senate Raja Muhammad Amin and CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari also attended the meeting.

Polyclinic is the oldest medical facility available for government servants and their families ever since the construction of the new Capital in early 60s.

LAHORE

About 3198 cases of HIV/AIDS registered in Pakistan depict the lack of awareness among the people and the negligence of authorities.

According to a survey conducted by the Punjab Aids Control Programme (PACP), the estimated number of HIV/AIDS patients in Pakistan ranges from 70,000 to 80,000.

The report of the survey released by the authorities to a select media persons and doctors in a conference held at Avari here on Wednesday, threw light on the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country, the reasons causing the deadly disease and the steps taken by the authorities to protect the masses.

It is the poor who suffer the most because of the costly treatment that makes it unaffordable, observed the report. Moreover, the lack of awareness among the masses worsens the scenario, as they are unaware of the symptoms, preventive measures and the places where proper treatment is available.

PACP has established three HIV treatment centres at the Mayo Hospital, Shaukat Khanum Hospital and the Services Hospital Lahore, which aim at providing specific and symptomatic treatment to the potential patients, said Dr Ali Razzaque, project director PACP while addressing the conference.

He said the organization was providing high quality services only in five larger cities of Punjab namely Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Sailkot. The spread of HIV and AIDS is most common among vulnerable population that is female sex-workers, men having sex with men, drug users and truck-drivers, he said.

Dr Ali Razaque said special attention should be paid to such people so that HIV/AIDS could not spread in the general public. He said, “In fact, the HIV virus kills CD4 cells (also called T-helper cells) which help human body fight off infection and disease”.

He said HIV and AIDS spreads when a person suffering from the disease has sex or shares injection needles with another person. It can also be passed from a mother to her baby, he added. The disease also spreads by sharing the syringes and needles to inject drugs or equipment used to prepare drugs besides transfusion of HIV-infected blood, he said.

PACP also contributes towards improvement in the safe blood transfusion by expanding services for screening of blood and blood products. Diagnostic and kits for testing HIV and Hepatitis-b have been provided to 12 blood banks and HIV surveillance centres in the province, he said.

Report shows that there is a decrease in HIV and AIDS patients in South Asian countries, he said. There were 4 million patients of AIDS in 2001 South Asia while HIV infected patients were 450,000. While in 2007 the number of patients was 3.1 million and HIV infected patients are 340,000. Globally, the HIV and AIDS patients are 38.6 million, he said.

Among others Chairperson UNDP Moneeza Hashmi, Raza Qazim Head Radio Fm101, Fawad Haider, member of UNAIDS, Absar Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.

KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Health Dr Saghir Ahmed said on Thursday that Diagnostic Laboratories with a cost of Rs235 million would be established in Karachi, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana soon.
These medical centres are aimed at diagnose diseases like Hepatitis B-C and HIV/AIDS, he said during a meeting with US Consul General Kay L Ansky at his office in Karachi. US Political/Economic Officer Tim Ohall, Secretary Health Sindh Shafiq Ahmed Khoso, Additional Secretary Development Health Dr Srichand were also present on the occasion.
The Minister and Consul General also exchanged views on the matters of mutual interest and steps taken by the Sindh government against polio, Hepatitis B-C, HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
Saghir Ahmed said that Accident and Emergency Centres would also be established at all district hospitals of Sindh in order to provide emergency health facilities in case of road accidents, bomb blasts and other violent incidents.
The facilities of blood banks, laboratories and fully equipped operation theatre would also be available at these centres, he added.
The minister briefed the Consul General about the details of Hepatitis disease and said that presently 1.5 and 1.7 million people are suffering from Hepatitis B and C, respectively, in Sindh province, adding the Sindh government would spend Rs4.70 billion on this cure of the disease. The Consul General appreciated the efforts of Health Department taken to combat diseases and assured their full cooperation in this regard. The minister invited Consul General to inaugurate a three-day anti-polio drive to be launched across Sindh on July 28.

HYDERABAD, July 27: A survey for construction of trauma centres in four district of Sindh is under way and will be completed in five to six months.

A delegation from the Aga Khan University stated this during a recent meeting with Sindh Health Service Director-General Dr Ghulam Nabi Memon.

Talking to the delegation, Dr Ghulam Nabi Memon said that every year five million people in the world lost their lives in accidents and Pakistan stood at number five in deaths in accidents.

The delegation comprised of the head of the department of emergency medicines, AKU Karachi, Dr Junaid A Razzaq, Dr Syed Mohammad Baqar, Dr Vanash Kumar and Dr Junaid Bhatti.

The DG health said that the Sindh minister for health and the secretary wanted construction of a trauma centre in each district of the province to provide immediate treatment to victims of road accidents.

The construction of trauma centre, he said, had become necessary due to increase in population and road accidents.

The members of the delegation informed the DG health that trauma centres will be constructed in other districts of Sindh after approval and added that the staff would be specially trained to meet any emergency with regards to accidents.

However, they said that initially trauma centres would be constructed in four district of Sindh — which are Larkana, Sukkur, Matiari and Jamshoro.

The DG health extended full cooperation of the health department in this regard and appointed Dr Mohammad Ali Laghari as a focal person.

LAHORE

POPULATION Welfare Minister Neelam Jabbar on Monday said welfare centres for healthcare would be established at villages having 3,000 population.

Addressing a seminar held at a local hotel in connection with the World Population Day celebrations, organised by Ministry of Population Welfare, the minister said skilled birth attendants, LHWs and LHVs would be appointed at these centres. She said that there was a need to control rapid growth of population to provide basic amenities to every citizen of the country.

She said a comprehensive awareness campaign would be launched in the province. She asked people including the community leaders, teachers, elected representatives and ulema to play their role in this social service. She said electronic and print media could also play an important role in creating awareness among the masses about this issue.

She said the focus of provincial government was primary and protective healthcare to achieve the millennium development goals(MDGs). She said at present under five mortality rate was 94 out of 1,000 which would be reduced to 65 by 2011 and 45 by 2015 according to the MDG targets.

She said the newborn mortality rate at present was 54 out of 1,000 which would be reduced to 40 and to 25 by 2011 and 2015 respectively. She said LHWs and LHVs, besides community midwives, would be appointed at all the health centers in remote areas.

She said that provincial department was providing services for family welfare purpose through 1,497 family welfare centers, 117 mobile service units, 54 birth centres besides 2,604 male mobilisers and a large number of LHWs. She said the department had appointed male mobilisers at union council level. Effective monitoring and evaluation system has been evolved in the department, she added.

LAHORE

THE National Programme for Prevention and Control of Blindness has completed upgrade of eye departments of all the district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals in Punjab as part of the programme to eradicate blindness from Pakistan by 2020.

Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan, programme manager of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Blindness, stated this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of newly-upgraded eye department of Fatima Jinnah Medical College/Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, on Monday. He said this National Programme was a part of a global initiative under which the World Health Organization and International Agency for Prevention of Blindness and a consortium of 20 NGOs have set a goal “Right to Sight” to eradicate causes of blindness across the globe by 2020.

Board of Management Chairman Justice (retd) Mian Mehboob Ahmad inaugurated the eye department, upgraded with installation of latest eye equipment worth Rs 30.5 million for diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.

Prof Asad Aslam Khan said that the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Blindness (2005-2010) was based on the ‘National Survey of Blindness and Low Vision 2004’ according to which 1.5 million people were blind in Pakistan. Thus the prevalence rate of blindness is 0.9 per cent in Pakistan. However, he said that 80 pc causes of blindness were avoidable through measures.

He said that major reasons of high prevalence of the eye disorders were lack of latest technology in hospitals, lack of trained human resource and unavailability of eye specialists at tehsil level in Pakistan.

To overcome these problems, he said that Pakistan initiated the programme (2005-2010) at a cost of Rs 2.7 billion. Under this programme, eye departments of 27 teaching hospitals and 63 DHQ hospitals will be upgraded and new eye departments in 147 THQ hospitals will be established across Pakistan.

Besides, 50,000 lady health workers will be trained in primary eye care and sub-specialists in paediatric ophthalmology and vitro retina will also be produced. Another feature of this programme is the creation of 2,711 new technical posts to handle the latest eye equipment at all levels in Pakistan, which will create employment opportunities. The posts have already been created.

During the last two and a half years, he said that a total of 68 institutions have been upgraded in Pakistan, while rest of the hospitals will be upgraded in the next two years. The upgrade of eye department of Fatima Jinnah Medical College/Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is a part of this programme. The eye departments of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Rawalpindi General Hospital, Rawalpindi, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Sheikh Zayed Medical Complex, Rahim Yar Khan, and Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, had already been upgraded while rest of the teaching hospitals would also be upgraded during the next two years.

During the next two years, new eye departments will be established in all 79 THQ hospitals in Punjab. Out of these 79 tehsil level health facilities, as many as four THQ hospitals have already been upgraded. The posts of eye specialists have already been created at tehsil level in the province.

FJMC/SGRH Principal Prof Dr Abdul Majeed Chaudhry, Medical Superintendent Dr Ijaz Ahmad Sheikh and FJMC Department of Ophthalmology Head Prof Dr Hamid Mahmood were also present.

LAHORE

PUNJAB Population Welfare Minister Neelam Jabbar has asked the medical community to maintain highest standard of honesty and integrity and serve patients with devotion as serving the ailing humanity is a noble deed.

Talking to delegations of doctors, LHWs and philanthropists at her office, the minister said that Rs 540 million had been reserved in the budget for the treatment of poor with kidney diseases, whereas, new dialysis centres would be set up in the province.

She said that the philanthropists help would be sought in this regard. She said NGOs would also be encouraged in this regard so that standardised healthcare facilities could be provided to the masses. She also called upon the philanthropists to give for welfare activities so that basic facilities of health and education could be provided to all.

She said that those people, who dedicate their lives and resources for social welfare, were an assets to society and the government would provide all-out cooperation and assistance to them.

KARACHI: Sindh Labour Minister Amir Nawab Saturday said that Landhi Kidney centre constructed by Worker’s Welfare Fund to facilitate 2.5 million workers in the province is the only one among four such centres in the country which has been handed over to Sindh Employees Social Institution to run it while rest will be managed by the private sector.
He stated this while addressing a press conference on the occasion of handing over of Landhi Kidney Center to SESSI at a simple ceremony. On the occasion Secretary Sindh Worker’s Welfare Board Syed Matloob Ahmed and Vice-Commissioner SESSI Syed Mansoor Abbas, signed a handing over agreement and exchanged the documents.
The Minister informed that 50-bed kidney center has been constructed over 15 acres of land and Rs 330 million spent on its construction and provision of equipment.
He said presently the facilities for 20 dialysis have been provided in the center which will gradually be increased to 40.
Amir Nawab said that a proposal is under consideration for start of kidney transplanttation here. According to him modern medical technology has been provided at this center.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/images/2008/08/06/20080806_z3.jpg

* Transplant laws helping cut off illegal organ trade: Prof. Adib
* SIUT tops with 396 transplants in the world - Africa 81, Manchester 192, Iran 288 and University of California 366
* Sindh has 1,194, Balochistan 127, Punjab 641, NWFP 57 and Azad Kashmir 11 donors and recipients

By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) Director Prof. Adib ul Hassan Rizvi has said that after the Organ Transplantation Ordinance was brought into effect they have done 30 more transplants than the University of California.

The SIUT did 396 kidney transplants this year and the University of California 366. Iran was a close second with 288 transplants, 192 in Manchester and 81 at the Mansoura Hospital in Africa. “All transplantation centers of the world accept living and cadaverous organs but only the SIUT accepts donations from immediate family members of the recipient,” said Prof. Rizvi. After promulgation of the organ transplantation ordinance in 2007, the number of transplants has increased to 396 this year and will soon breach the 400-operation mark.

He briefed the media Tuesday on the pre- and post-legislation scenario of organ transplantation. According to him, the institute has received donors and recipients from across Pakistan. Sindh has the largest number at 1,194. Balochistan, the Punjab, NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have had 127, 641, 57 and 11 donors and recipients, respectively. From 1987 to 1990, the SIUT performed only 22 kidney transplantations per year but the number increased to 150 in 2006.

The pre-legislation number of living related kidney transplants was 200 but after the implementation of the law, 450 such transplants have been performed. The number of unrelated transplants has also declined from 350 to 150 after the enforcement of the law. Over 1,000 kidney transplants for foreigners, costing around Rs 1.8 billion, were performed before the law was passed and the number has markedly reduced since its implementation, he said, adding that, at a time, the hospital performed two to three transplants a week and was now carrying out one such surgery every day.

Prof. Rizvi said that, currently, living or cadaverous donations were only acceptable in the case of kidney transplants and he stressed the need to allow cadaverous donations for the liver, pancreas and lung transplants. “This is a particularly tough task, therefore, it is necessary to educate the masses regarding the need for such donations, as they can give life to dying people. Therefore, we only believe in ethical and legal transplants and strict measures should be taken to curb illegal transplantation,” he said.

According to Prof. Rizvi, SIUT has performed 2,000 living related kidney transplants since 1986, with a 94 percent patient survival rate in the first year, 92 percent survival rate of graft patients in the first year, 95 percent rate of donor rehabilitation and 85 percent rate of recipient rehabilitation. The hospital has a zero percent mortality rate in kidney transplants.

Responding to claims by Jordan Kidney Patients Society Chairman Dr Mohamed Ghaneimat that at least 35 Jordanians had died over the past three years after selling their kidneys to patients, mostly in Egypt and Pakistan, for around 3,000 dinars (US $4,300) each, Prof. Rizvi said that the claims were baseless. On the contrary, he claimed that people from Middle Eastern countries had been involved in the organ trade in the Punjab.

SIUT provides its services free, including all pre- and post-operative expenses, and since 1986, the hospital has spent Rs 300 million on transplants and Rs 1.2 billion on medication of patients. “SIUT does not need government approval to establish regional transplantation centres anywhere in the country, as it is an autonomous institution,” he said.

He pointed out that high blood pressure, diabetes, insufficient intake of water and a person’s lifestyle play an important role in the formation of kidney stones and can lead to kidney failure. “The location of the stones in the kidney is key in assessing the nature of damage to the kidney and latest diagnostic tools and equipment, such as ultrasound and CT scan, have simplified the procedure,” he said.

^^ Wow, that's great!

LAHORE

PUNJAB Minister for Population Welfare Neelam Jabbar has said that more than 300 new family welfare centres will be established across the province to provide basic maternal and child healthcare facilities to the masses at their doorsteps.

Addressing a delegation of lady health workers (LHWs) and lady health visitors (LHVs) here on Saturday, Neelam said the Prime Minister’s Basic Healthcare Programme, initiated by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, would be further strengthened to benefit majority of the population.

“The family welfare centres will be established at the villages, comprising five to seven thousand people,” she maintained, adding that the Health department was appointing trained staff at these centres. She said under the programme, provision of necessary medicines and other facilities was being ensured to the women.

“The LHWs and the LHVs will have to play a vital role in educating the rural folk regarding health as they are the backbone of the healthcare system,” she maintained, adding that the government would provide them opportunities of medical education and training besides increasing their pay packages.

Neelam said the government had also launched a programme to establish the community midwifery homes in the far-flung areas of the province to provide basic health facilities to child and mother, minimising the maternal mortality and neonatal death rate during the childbirth.

She said women would be empowered with the provision of job opportunities in government, semi-government and private organisations.

http://www.statesman.com.pk/pictures/APP94-18Chitral.jpg

http://www.statesman.com.pk/pictures/APP87-18PM-Islamabad.jpg

Illiterate Taliban in the north tell people that polio drops are an American conspiracy to render Muslim men impotent so that they can't raise armies against the Great Satan.

Don't know to what extent they succeed in polluting the minds of those simple folk.

Forget Taliban, people in cities said that Iodized salt was being advertised in the 90's for this purpose.

That Sherry Rehman is always with the Prime Minister, her reaction in that video was totally different to what I see now.

That Sherry Rehman is always with the Prime Minister, her reaction in that video was totally different to what I see now.

Yeah! I totally agree! I noticed the exact same thing. But I didn't wanna point it out, for the fear of being "labelled" here or something. You never know.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced establishment of liver institutes in Lahore and Islamabad, saying that the government is committed to providing the people with healthcare facilities.

He made this announcement during a meeting with Dr Aftab Mohsin, a liver expert, at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, on Wednesday. Dr Mohsin presented feasibility report of the project to the prime minister.

The prime minister said the government would fulfill its commitment to providing healthcare facilities to the people at their doorstep by establishing these institutes.

He said, “We do not have liver transplantation facilities in Pakistan and in order to attract specialised expatriates the government has to give them proper perks and privileges.” He said most of specialised doctors are ready to serve their country, provided that the government offered them appropriate facilities.

He said increase in hepatitis cases had highlighted the need for setting up more such institutes. He directed Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Salman Farooqi to look into a proposal for early start of these projects.

Dr Mohsin told the prime minister that the liver institutes in Lahore and Islamabad would be equipped with modern facilities.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced establishment of liver institutes in Lahore and Islamabad, saying that the government is committed to providing the people with healthcare facilities.

He said, “We do not have liver transplantation facilities in Pakistan and in order to attract specialised expatriates the government has to give them proper perks and privileges.” He said most of specialised doctors are ready to serve their country, provided that the government offered them appropriate facilities.

He said increase in hepatitis cases had highlighted the need for setting up more such institutes. He directed Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Salman Farooqi to look into a proposal for early start of these projects.

Dr Mohsin told the prime minister that the liver institutes in Lahore and Islamabad would be equipped with modern facilities.

If we don't have liver transplantation facilities in Pakistan. Then one should be made in Karachi too.

What's SIUT then?

What's SIUT then?

I just went by what the article was saying.

I just went by what the article was saying.
I was actually asking. I'm not sure what it is.

I was actually asking. I'm not sure what it is.

Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. :yes:


I believe I read somewhere that they performed more liver (or was it Kidney?) transplants last year than anyother facility of its kind in the world? Also with the highest success rate?

Trappy? Care to savagely rip some charts and information from some websites, for our viewing pleasure? :colgate:

Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. :yes:


I believe I read somewhere that they performed more liver (or was it Kidney?) transplants last year than anyother facility of its kind in the world? Also with the highest success rate?

Trappy? Care to savagely rip some charts and information from some websites, for our viewing pleasure? :colgate:

Info on SIUT:

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide1.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide2.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide3.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide4.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide5.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide6.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide7.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide8.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide9.jpg

http://www.siut.org/img/stats/Slide10.jpg

LINK: http://www.siut.org/statistics.htm

:happy:

Hurrah!

30 Second Vid on SUIT & Photos:

http://www.siut.org/gallery.htm

I believe I read somewhere that they performed more liver (or was it Kidney?) transplants last year than anyother facility of its kind in the world? Also with the highest success rate?

You read correctly, kidney transplants:

Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation is the largest centre of South Asia providing free services to all patients without any discrimination. SIUT initiated the kidney transplantation programme in 1986 and has performed over 2000 living related kidney transplants to date. The record of transplantation results shows one year’s patient survival of 94%, recipient rehabilitation 85% and donation related mortality 0%.

SIUT receives the pairs of living related donors and recipients from all provinces of the country including Azad Kashmir. The statistics show that 1194 recipients and their donors were from Sindh, 127 from Balochistan, 641 from Punjab, 57 from NWFP and 11 from Azad Kashmir.

In the early period from 1987 to 1990, SIUT performed about 22 transplants a year. This figure gradually increased to between 130 and 150 by 2006. After the implementation of the Transplant Ordinance in 2007, SIUT increased its transplant activity and this year the number of transplants will go beyond 396

Centers in different regions of the world are leading in numbers of kidney transplants annually. These are located in Africa with 81 transplants performed at Mansoura Hospital, in Europe 192 transplants at Manchester Hospital and in Tehran, Iran belonging to the Middle East region, 288 transplants have been performed in one year. In the University of California, San Francisco, USA, 366 transplants were recorded. It is a credit for SIUT in Asia, that 396 transplants have been performed last year. All the centers in the world have dual programmes of living related and cadaver donations. SIUT is the only Institution which is accepting donors only from the immediate family.

The legislation on Organ Donation has played a significant role in changing the scenario of transplants in Pakistan. The record illustrates that about 200 living related kidney transplants were performed before the legislation was imposed. After the implementation of the law, nearly 450 transplants have been performed. The unrelated kidney transplants declined from 350 before the legislation to 150 after the imposition of the law. Over 1000 kidney transplants for foreigners costing Rs 1.8 billion have markedly diminished after the legislation depicting the change in the scenario of transplantation in Pakistan.

Living donors are the foundation for an organ transplantation programme which has to be run and maintained on very high ethical standards without any exploitation so that the society accepts it as just and fair. At SIUT confidence has been created by providing free dignified care and all necessary treatment modalities for renal failure patients. This gives confidence to the patient and their families and they fully participate in all the necessary activities. SIUT is now the biggest centre for living donation in the world.

Living donation can only provide the kidneys whereas other organs as liver, pancreas and lung need a cadaver organ donation programme. To gain success on this aspect and to understand its benefits, the society has to be motivated by public education. High ethical standards are the prerequisite of successful transplantation to ensure public trust on which the edifice of the deceased donor transplantation will be erected to help the millions needing an organ in Pakistan.

MORE NEWS here: http://www.siut.org/news.htm

WOW! :happy:

I'll be honest, I really don't know the different between a kidney and a liver.

I'll be honest, I really don't know the different between a kidney and a liver.

google is your friend, it might hate you for being a sloth turd and not posting pictures more often, but it still loves you. So go and show google some love by running a search or two.


:laugh:

I'll be honest, I really don't know the different between a kidney and a liver.

Yeah, biology's one boring subject! Thank God I haven't had to study it for the past few years.

This is insane. The amount of procedures they perform annually is staggering. This is not a good thing overall! I mean, kudos to the hospital staff for deaing with that many patients, but we should have more hospitals that can perfom these procedures so that we can distribute the patient load.

google is your friend, it might hate you for being a sloth turd and not posting pictures more often, but it still loves you. So go and show google some love by running a search or two.


:laugh:
Dude, my mom's a walking biology Google, and she's explained it to me a million times. I just don't get it.

Dude, my mom's a walking biology Google, and she's explained it to me a million times. I just don't get it.

Well than go run a few searches on your mom. :laugh:

Dude, my mom's a walking biology Google, and she's explained it to me a million times. I just don't get it.

Not surprising!

Not surprising!
Why?

Why?

:doh:

^^ Yeah, why KB????

KARACHI, Sept 25: The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation announced on Thursday the opening of its second research unit, the Centre for Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine.

A noted Pakistani scientist, Dr Syed Qasim Mehdi, expert in the field of medical genetics development, is heading the CHGMM established at the SIUT for conducting research on association of diseases that could be predicted on the basis of genetic make-up like adult polycystic kidney disease, says a press release.

The centre will also ensure research leading to the prediction of treatment modalities for chronic diseases and cancers.

Dr Mehdi, who has plans to extend research on human genetics, especially pertaining to kidney and liver diseases, is leading a group of scientists, including three PhDs and three PhD students, at CHGMM.

Another important project under the umbrella of the newly set up centre is the analysis and tabulation of the gene frequencies of transplantation antigens of representatives of Pakistani ethnic groups. This is of vital importance to physicians and surgeons for organ transplantation in Pakistan, the SIUT release adds.

Earlier in October 2004, the SIUT had launched the Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture, which among other activities also produces ethical researchers and healthcare professionals and is enhancing bioethical education and researches relevant to Pakistan and the region under its postgraduate one-year diploma programme.

Having the experience of over 35 years of teaching molecular biology and medicine, a graduate of Lucknow University, India, with a master’s in molecular biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, Dr Mehdi at the new centre also intends to evaluate the role of genetic variation in a number of genes in susceptibility and resistance to tuberculosis and hepatitis in Pakistan.

SUKKUR, Oct 5: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has said that the government is working to provide better health facilities to people.

He was speaking at a ceremony after laying the foundation stone of burns centre, trauma centre and nursing institute at the Civil Hospital here on Sunday. He said that the three projects would cost Rs2 billion and after their completion, people of the area would get better health facilities.

He said that burns centre, trauma centre and nursing institute were long standing demands of the area people and the present government, keeping in view the health problems of the people, have initiated these projects, which after completion would provide better health facilities to the people at their doorstep.

The minister said that the government was well aware about the problems of labourers and, therefore, it has initiated housing scheme for them. He added that as a first step, 20,000 residential flats would be constructed in Punjab and 16,000 in Sindh which would be provided to workers on ownership basis.

He said that the highways from Sukkur to Shikarpur and Jacobabad would be widened and doubled and funds were being released for improved water supply and drainage system in Sukkur.

Syed Khursheed Shah said that all the main roads of the city would be carpeted properly and a modern park would also be constructed in the city.

Sindh Minister for Labour Ameer Nawab Khan, MNA Nauman Islam Shaikh and others accompanied the minister.

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority CDA will establish a medical college in the city and upgrade the Capital Hospital, said CDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Khan on Tuesday. He stated this during a visit to the hospital and directed its executive director and senior officials to start work on the proposal to upgrade the hospital on modern lines, said a press release. He directed the hospital officials to submit the proposal within a month to convert the hospital into a teaching hospital. CDA Foundation: Khan said CDA would establish a foundation for welfare of its serving and retired employees. The civic body will allocate land and Rs 20 million funds for the foundation, he added. He said services of retired and working employees of the authority would be hired to run the foundation and people like Dr Hamid Zeb Khan would be included as members of foundation’s advisory board. Khan visited different departments of the hospital including nephrology, dialysis centre, eye ward, laboratory and emergency ward. The doctors informed him that the hospital conducted 300 dialyses in a month. Khan directed the hospital officials to upgrade dialysis centre and orthopedic, eye and general surgery departments and blood bank on immediate basis. CDA in its board meeting on Tuesday decided to extend Margalla Road to link it with GT Road. The meeting also approved allotment of a plot measuring 500 yards for a dispensary in Sector I-10 to provide best medical facilities to the residence of the area. The meeting also decided to establish another park in Sector I-8/2. A committee comprising representative of CDA and citizens will look after affair of the park.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\10\29\story_29-10-2008_pg11_2

100-bed hospital in Landhi soon

A 100-bed General Hospital will be established at Dawood Chowrangi, Landhi, soon, said MPA Amanullah Khan Mehsood on Tuesday.Talking to different delegations from Sharafi Goth, Mansehra Colony, Allah Dad Goth, and Future Colony, he said promises of providing all basic civic amenities to people of his constituency will be fulfilled soon. New projects worth Rs10 million will be carried out in Landhi soon, he added. Social leaders Muhammad Gul Jadoon, Aziz Khan Sawati, Shah Faisal, Yasir Khan Kundi and others were present on the occasion.

New ICU set up at CHK Burns Centre

A 12-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been set up at Burns Centre of Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), said Executive Director Burns Centre Dabeer-ur-Rehman on Tuesday. He said an ICU with the facility of nine beds is already functioning at Burns Centre but owing to increasing number of patients another ICU has been set up which will start functioning soon. He said the centre has received 12 modern beds from a donor for the new ICU and now only monitors are required to start the ICU. He informed that nurses have also been deputed in this ward. —PPI

KARACHI, Nov 3: The Sindh government has planned to vaccinate 1.4 million newborns and 245,000 adults against hepatitis B and provide treatment to about 16,600 patients of hepatitis C during this fiscal year under the ‘Chief Minister’s Initiative for hepatitis-free Sindh’.

Sources in the health department said the government had finally approved the release of Rs2.35 billion in three-year instalments for the hepatitis prevention and control programme, which would initially be run in five districts. The government in June last had announced that it would allocate Rs5 billion to fight hepatitis for the entire Sindh, where hepatitis has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality over the recent years.

The expanded programme of immunization that’s addressing hepatitis B in infants only was found not feasible’ for it did not prevent mothers from transferring the viral disease to their children, according to experts. It is estimated that 1.5 million patients of hepatitis B and 1.7 million patients of hepatitis C existed in the province.

Most affected districts were Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Dadu, Matiari, Nawabshah and Hyderabad, while the adjoining districts of Shikarpur, Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan and Sanghar were on the verge of outbreak of the diseases too, said an official report.

The problem has largely remained unaddressed due to non-availability of adequate screening service against hepatitis at a taluka level. Besides, a lack of up-to-mark molecular biology labs and inadequate supply of costly medicines to treat the eligible patients of hepatitis B and C at health establishments remained major challenges in the public sector.

The sources said during the last three years the federal government through its ‘ambitious and fund consuming’ hepatitis programme could only provide the prescribed treatment to 40 per cent of about 10,000 hepatitis C patients registered across the province. The hepatitis C medicine supply remained meagre and highly interrupted during the last one year in Sindh.

The sources said the authorities approved the hepatitis-free programme for launch in Larkana, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Kamber and Badin districts. A project director and some key officials had already been appointed, while the process for procurement of vaccines, machineries and equipment would begin within a week, said the health department source, adding that if things went in the right direction the hepatitis-free Sindh project would go operational by December’s first week.

Under the three-year project, 50,000 patients of viral hepatitis C and 6,000 patients of hepatitis B will be provided treatment, while about 4.2 million newborns, 675 general population, 45,000 high risk population and 15,000 jail inmates will be vaccinated.

Project manger Dr Abdul Majeed Chhutto told Dawn that the government had already released Rs200 million for the project, while the proceedings for release of Rs802 million had been initiated on a war-footing basis as the chief minister wanted an immediate implementation of the programme.

Dr Majeed said PCR laboratories would be established in Larkana and Sukkur during the next few months, while cold chain will be established and maintained at Kotri, Sukkur and Larkana. Another PCR laboratory would be set up in Mirpurkhas at a later stage, he added.

In addition to vaccination and provision of treatment, measures would be taken to increase the capacity of medial and technical staffs at various health centres, he said, while awareness campaigns and seminars on promotion of safe blood transfusion, injection safety and behaviour changes would also be held in the coming months.

In reply to a question, he said provision of the free of charge treatment to patients of hepatitis B and C from December onwards would not be a problem as a list of registered patients who were still awaiting the treatment under the prime minister’s programme on hepatitis was being acquired to be incorporated in the new project.

He said the programme would be extended to the population of other district of the province as well.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/04/local8.htm

HYDERABAD, Nov 7: Around 40 million people throughout the world are suffering from hepatitis and their number in Pakistan was going up because of the unawareness of the disease among the masses, said Dr Abdul Majeed Chhutto during a press conference at the press club on Friday.

The provincial government has launched a three-year special programme worth Rs2,350 million to control the rising number of hepatitis cases.

The main target of the programme is to vaccinate newly borns within 12 hours of their birth against hepatitis as this is not included in the EPI, he said adding that some 1.4 million children would be immunised.

In addition 2,50,000 people, including prisoners would be tested and vaccinated every year with free treatment of 50,000 hepatitis-C and 6,000 hepatitis-B patients during three years, he said.

He said that the PCR test for the diagnosis of hepatitis was essential but this facility was available only in Karachi and Hyderabad as a result people of far-flung areas face enormous difficulties. Therefore, he said, PCR machines would also be installed at Larkana, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas under Chief Minister’s Programme. The programme had been launched and a camp in this regard was set-up at Shahpur Chakar in boys and girls schools on November 5 wherein 2,024 boys and 1,059 girls were vaccinated.

Answering a question, he said that 19 district governments have also launched separate programmes for the control and treatment of hepatitis and to check overlapping, the amount allocated by the district government will also be made available for it.

He said the chief minister had also agreed to legislate law to check quackery and reuse of syringes, blades etc.

Answering another question, he said so far about 5,500 hepatitis patients had been registered in Sindh.

To oversee the entire campaign and for the procurement of medicines, a 16-member steering committee headed by chief minister has also been constituted, he said.

PESHAWAR, Nov 8: The Frontier government plans to establish a 60-bed first-ever burns hospital, costing Rs870 million, for industrial workers and their families in Peshawar.

This was disclosed by provincial Minister for Labour and Manpower Sher Azam Wazir at the conclusion of a seminar at a local hotel. He said the proposed hospital would be fully equipped. He said the federal government had already set up schools exclusively for children of workers in various districts.

He claimed that whenever the Pakistan People’s Party came into power, it initiated workers-friendly and welfare-oriented projects in the country. He said that in 1974, the first PPP government headed by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had given a comprehensive labour policy. The then PPP government, he said, had also introduced reforms in socio-economic sector for welfare of the peasantry, labourers and other marginalised sections of the society.

The second PPP government led by Benazir Bhutto, he said, had established a number of labour colonies out of the Workers Welfare Fund across the country, including Peshawar, Kohat and Haripur. He said the present federal government had increased minimum wages of workers from Rs4,000 to 6,000 and regularised services of hundreds of contract employees serving in big industrial-cum-commercial units.

He said the present government had also introduced the Benazir Income Support Programme for welfare of poor women, who lacked any permanent source of economic support.

The federal government, the minister said, had also lifted ban on workers’ unions in the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation, Pakistan Steel Mills and other organisations. He said that in the NWFP his department had made industrialists bound to implement the minimum wages in their organisations and industrial units.

He said millions of unskilled workers had been serving in Arab States, including United Arab Emirates, after the first PPP government came into power in 1971. He said they were not only feeding their families, but also earning foreign reserves for the country.

The minister said the present government was trying to get more jobs for skilled workers in South and East Asian countries. He hoped that Pakistan would benefit from employment opportunities in the Korean market.

He said he had discussed employment-related issued with the federal minister for labour and manpower and requested him to accommodate maximum workers from backward areas of the NWFP.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/11/09/local12.htm

I am finding it hard to understand govt's policy, it seems as if their focus is to send a lot of Pakistan's manpower to other countries to earn so they could feed their family and earn FOREIGN EXCHANGE for the country.Why are they not investing in service and manufacturing sector where other countries are taking the lead. Moreover Pakistan has an advantage as a major portion of Pakistan's population can speak English......

I've been hearing about this 'English-speaking' Pakistanis myth since my childhood. Can anyone show me where these Pakistanis are? I've never met them. Major portion of Pakistani population can speak English, my ass. If by speaking English, you mean make some sense of Latin Alphabet, then yes, I guess around 25-30% can do that.

Associated Press of Pakistan

KARACHI: Sindh Health department will soon be wholly computerised under e-government project where after all sections of the department would be inter-linked.

Rhis would thus help check financial and administrative malpractices and establish good governance.

This was stated by Sindh Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed in a briefing by IT department in which he was briefed about computerisation process in Civil Hospital Karachi.

He was informed that this would help maintain hospital's complete record including salaries, employees and their leave account, posting, abstentions, entries of patients, record of medicines and supplies besides greatly reliving from paper work and enforcing transparency.

Dr Saghir said that enforcement of Civil Hospital Management and Information System will be ensured and officials and staff would be bound down to take maximum advantage of computer use.

With e-system, he observed. It would become possible to provide better and speedy facilities to general public besides transparency in procurement and purchases.

Earlier, IT Minister Raza Haroon gave a detail briefing to Dr Saghir Ahmed with regard to Hospital Management and Information System, e-government project and e-health project.

Dr Saghir hoped that this system would also be introduced in other hospitals and centres of health department soon.

Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: The government of Norway has provided 250 million Norwegian Krones to the United Nations, Pakistan, for five-year period (2008-2012) to improve maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) of the poor.

The grant, committed by the Norwegian prime minister, is meant to support the One UN piloting efforts of UN Pakistan, making Pakistan the highest endowed pilot for the One UN, says a press statement issued by United Nations Information Centre.

The Norwegian prime minister and his Pakistani counterpart were members of the high level panel that proposed the UN Reform in 2006. The United Nations Development Programme will be the administrative agent for the one fund.

In line with the global effort to achieve the health targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Norway's support will accelerate the government's efforts in the successful implementation of the national MNCH programme.

Pakistan lags behind most developing nations in MNCH. As many as 320 mothers die for every 100,000 live births in Pakistan. The infant mortality rate is 77 for every 1,000 live births with more than half of the infant deaths occurring in the neonatal period.

The purpose of this five-year project is to increase provision of access to MNCH services as well as to raise demand and utilization for these services. The WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA will jointly execute the project focusing on ten rural under-served districts in Sindh.

The districts have been selected on the basis of their prevailing high maternal and under five child mortality rates.

The governments of Norway and Pakistan have been working together since April 2006 to carve the plan for Norwegian assistance towards human development in Pakistan.

Commenting on the support of the Norwegian government, Fikret Akcura, Resident Coordinator, UN stated, "Norway has been a front-line supporter of UN's development efforts, this support will help effect real change in the areas of maternal and child health while serving a population of 11 million in Sindh."

Dr Sissel Volan, Deputy Head of Mission announced the support on behalf of the Government of Norway, "We are proud to be partner with the UN on this critical programme, the Norwegian government is committed to improving the quality of health care for pregnant women and infants in Pakistan."

UNFPA representative presents credentials: Daniel B Baker presented his letter of credentials as UNFPA Country Representative in Pakistan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

According to a press release issued by the UN Information Centre, Baker is American born who received his masters' degree in the Pacific Studies from the University of Hawaii, USA in 1972. He joined UNFPA in 1997 and worked in different senior positions as an information expert at UNFPA Headquarters, New York.

Prior to his arrival in Islamabad, Baker served as the UNFPA Country Representative in Timor-Leste from 2002 to 2005 and in Myanmar from 2005 to 2008. In Myanmar, he also served as the Acting UN Resident Coordinator during 2008 and as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator during the response to the devastating cyclone Nargis. He has extensive experience in research and is the author of three publications.

Vitamin B1 can reverse early stage kidney disease in diabetes patients

Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Researchers at the University of Warwick in collaboration with researchers at the University of Punjab and Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, have discovered that high doses of thiamine - vitamin B1 - can reverse the onset of early diabetic kidney disease.

Kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy, develops progressively in patients with type 2 diabetes. Early development of kidney disease is assessed by a high excretion rate of the protein albumin from the body in the urine, known as microalbuminuria.

Collaborating teams of researchers at University of Warwick, Coventry, UK led by Dr Naila Rabbani and Prof Paul J Thornalley and Sheikh Zayed Hospital and Punjab University School of Biological Sciences (SBS) led by Dr Saadia S Alam and Prof M Waheed Akhtar have discovered taking high oral doses of thiamine can dramatically decrease the excretion of albumin and reverse early stage kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients.

In a paper published Sunday in the journal Diabetologia, the team showed that 300 mg of thiamine taken orally each day for three months reduced the rate of albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes patients. The albumin excretion rate was decreased by 41% from the value at the start of the study. The results also showed 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw a return to normal urinary albumin excretion after being treated with thiamine.

Forty patients with type 2 diabetes aged between 35 and 65 years old took part in the trial. They were randomly assigned a placebo or 3 x 100mg tablets of thiamine a day for three months.

The Warwick research group has already conclusively proven that type 2 diabetes patients have a thiamine deficiency. In an earlier study led by Prof. Thornalley at Warwick Medical School, the research team showed that thiamine deficiency could be key to a range of vascular problems for diabetes patients. Dr Rabbani said: "This study once again highlights the importance of Vitamin B1 and we need to increase awareness of it". The collaborating teams in future would like to imitate a comprehensive program of public awareness and further development of procedures for thiamine treatment of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The study at Lahore was undertaken under a research grant from the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan to the School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore. Dr Rabbani holds a research fellowship with the British Heart Foundation, based at Warwick Medical School.

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I hate it that wherever the fuck you go, you see either the AIDS ribbon, or the breast cancer one. Goddammit, enough already. There should be a law against all this shit. I'm sick and tired of it.

FIRST EVER OPEN HEART SURGERY AT KIHD. CITY NAZIM MEET THE PATIENT

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http://125.209.91.254/CDGK/Portals/0/Picture%20Gallery/Nazim%20PG/24-Nov-08-CN%20visit%20KIHD-C.jpg
25 Nov 2008:

Karachi Nov 24: The first ever open heart surgery was successfully carried out by doctors at Karachi Institute of Heart Disease on Sunday. The surgery on Mr. Naseem Ansari went very well according to the doctors. City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal also met with the patient during his visit to the hospital and presented flower bouquet.

Talking to the media representatives on this occasion the City Nazim said that the KIHD has progressed well gradually and now it has the capacity to perform a bypass surgery on daily basis which will further improve with the time. He said that city government uses only its own resources in all of its hospitals. No compromise will be made on the amount spent on the health care facilities. KIHD provides very cheap heart surgery to citizens, especially those who could not afford expensive operations at other hospitals.

Nazim Karachi said that at present it costs 2.5 Lac to 6 Lac rupees to patients for open heart surgery while at KIHD they only have to pay 50 thousand rupees which is even less than the expenditures incurred on such operation. The remaining amount is paid by city government.

He said that we have imported a new machine for this hospital as previously we had to shift the patient to other hospital in emergency if it required surgery during the Angiography which also dangerous but now after carrying out first ever successful heart surgery here, we now have the facility to perform an operation daily at this hospital.

Nazim Karachi said that currently some of the renowned heart surgeons like surgeon Samad and Dr. Junaid with two other surgeons were delivering voluntary services at this hospital. Had we had more resources, we would have tried to offer free heart surgery at this hospital. He further said that a committee in this connection has also been formed with the support of private sector with Abdul Haseeb Khan and Masood Naqi as its member. Only this committee will have the authority to monitor the donations received and expenditures incurred on heart surgery at KIHD. The government machinery will not be allowed to touch this money.

The City Nazim said that we have the desire to provide free health care facilities to citizens in Karachi because the poor can’t afford to spend even 50 thousand rupees. That’s why we have decided to go to well off persons for cooperation so that the poor patients could get rid of all monetary concerns once they got admitted in the hospital for surgery.

He said that the KIHD presents unique facility for whole country. Heart patients from Lahore, Balochistan and interior Sindh are also getting successful treatment here.

He said that city government will also establish five more chest clinics in city within next few months but they will only inaugurated after they start working.

Nazim Karachi said that we have never compromised on discipline and quality. Due to the reason that the doctors in government hospitals don’t attend their duties, it has been decided to appoint other doctors and paramedical staff on contract basis who would get performance based pay. Nazim Karachi also inspected other sections of the hospital and met with the patients.

NAZIM KARACHI INAUGURATES DENTAL HOSPITAL AT KMDC.

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28 Nov 2008:

Karachi Nov 28: Pakistan’s first dental hospital has started working at the Karachi Medical & Dental College. The 100 chair hospital has been established by the City Government with a cost of Rs.250 million where the costly treatment of dental diseases will be provided free of cost.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the hospital along with a gymnasium and auditorium on Friday.

On this occasion addressing the inaugural ceremony and while talking to media representatives he said that city government has spent billons of rupees on the provision of better health care facilities to citizens in Karachi during the last three years. The dental hospital at the KMDC has been equipped with latest machinery and equipments worth millions of rupees.

Nazim Karachi said that the Haq Parast leadership had established this unique college during its first tenure at the local government and now it has doubled its seats from 50 to 100 on its second term. He said that the college infrastructure was being upgraded and soon a further increase in the seats will be requested.

He said that the dental unit at the KMDC had previously only 10 chairs which have been increased to 100 chairs and now 100 patients could be operated at the same time.
Nazim Karachi said that we have hired best of the doctors and professionals of this field for this hospital and now it is up to them to prove their worth.

He said that the Haq Parast leadership has got the honor of establishing country’s first dental hospital in Karachi and now it will also make KMDC the biggest medical and dental college of the Pakistan.

Six health projects completed


Associated Press of Pakistan

KARACHI: Six Development projects have been completed while four are under progress in Sindh Health Department during the tenure of the present government.

This was stated by Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed while talking to people from different walks of life during his visit to Civil Hospital Hyderabad.

A statement issued here on Sunday said that he further pointed out that the schemes completed during the last eight months are renovation of CCU Department at Civil Hospital Karachi, equipment for cancer centre at SlUT Karachi, renovation of existing building of Chest Diseases Hospital Kotri, expansion and improvement of Services Hospital Hyderabad with addition of casualty ward and 10-bed maternity/paediatrics ward, uplift of THQ Hospital Ghotki to the level of Civil Hospital by providing coronary care and dialysis unit and digital telephone exchange with underground cable wires at Chandka Medical College Larkana.

The provincial minister said besides above complete projects four development schemes were also in process and include the renovation and improvement of Sindh Government Hospital Karachi, construction of 400-bed Hospital Karachi, safe blood transfusion reforms in Sindh and basic development needs programme in Sindh.

He further said in addition, uplift of Taluka Headquarters Hospitals to the level of District Headquarter Hospital in seven districts are also under way which include Kamber, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Jamshoro, Kashmore, Matiari and Umerkot, besides establishment of Medical College at Mirpurkhas, expansion and improvement of 12 DHQ Hospital in Sindh, establishment of TB Sanitorium at Bado Jabal in District Dadu, revitalization of teaching hospital and medical colleges in Sindh.

The Minister said that the government is committed to provide basic health facilities to common people at their doorstep and taking revolutionary steps to achieve the desired goals.

ISLAMABAD: The government of Norway has provided 250 million Norwegian Krones to the United Nations, Pakistan, for five-year period (2008-2012) to improve maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) of the poor.


Oh, look at this Trappy, a developed country has given Pakistan money for healthcare, how did that happen? Because you said none of them ever want to help developing countries, and also that any help doesn't help at all :hahano:

Oh, look at this Trappy, a developed country has given Pakistan money for healthcare, how did that happen? Because you said none of them ever want to help developing countries, and also that any help doesn't help at all :hahano:

Man! Everything is a competition with you. Fine. Me, 10ROT, Turknology & eklips are wrong, you are right. Happy?

Fine. Me, 10ROT, Turknology & eklips are wrong, you are right.

Finally, you get it.

Finally, you get it.

Yes Sir! This infidel has finally seen the light!! :master:

PM to inaugurate Pakistan-Argentina venture


ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is likely to inaugurate a joint venture in pharmaceutical field between Pakistan and Argentina in January next, said Minister of State for Investment Saleem H Mandviwalla.

After his meeting with Argentinean Ambassador Rodolfo J Martin Saravia, the minister told reporters that various ways and means to further enhance economic relations between Pakistan and Argentina were discussed in detail during the meeting.

The ambassador told the minister that BAGO group of Argentina is investing in a joint venture, with Ferozsons Laboratories, being the first pharmaceutical company, not only in Pakistan but in the region to meet US Food and Drug Administration and EU specifications / standards.

The joint venture would not only provide medicine for prevention of cancer and hepatitis-C for Pakistani market at affordable prices, but is also designed to produce these medicines in large quantity for Latin American region.

The ambassador also mentioned that more companies are looking towards Pakistan as investment destination, and joint ventures for establishment of CNG stations, exploration of gas and development of tourism sector.

Argentina is one of the leading countries in manufacturing CNG kits and accessories, and joint venture to manufacture cylinders and compressors in Pakistan are under active consideration.

The Board of Investment is actively working with an Argentinean company, BF Bioscience Limited, since March 2008.—APP

source: http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/14/ebr9.htm

LAHORE: The Punjab government will set up a fully equipped cardiac hospital in Quetta to help the Balochi brothers, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday.

He was presiding over a meeting to discuss the establishment of the hospital. Planning and Development Chairman Sami Saeed, Health Secretary Anwar Ahmed Khan, Communication and Works Secretary Fawad Hussein Fawad, Dr Shehryar, Dr Jawad Sajid Khan, Dr Muhammad Azhar and the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) managing director attended the meeting.

Shahbaz said the hospital will be constructed on the pattern of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, adding that the Punjab government will provide the funds and trained staff required for the task. He said the hospital will have the capacity to hold more than 100 beds. He added the Punjab government had previously announced the establishment of a college in Quetta, which will be equipped with latest academic facilities to benefit the Balochi students.

He issued instructions to form a special team comprising Sami Saeed, Anwar Ahmed Khan and Fawad Hussein Fawad to visit Quetta next week. He said the team will hold meetings with the authorities concerned to discuss various aspects concerning the establishment of the hospital.


http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\17\story_17-12-2008_pg7_44

SZH attains 96pc success rate in open heart surgeries



Associated Press of Pakistan

Lahore: The Cardiac Department of Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) has attained 96 per cent success rate in most complicated open heart surgeries.

Chairman and Dean Shaikh Zayed Hospital Prof Dr Anwaar A Khan while talking to APP here Sunday said that cardiac ward under the supervision of Prof Dr. Ajmal Naqvi has performed around 500 cardiac open heart operations with 96 percent highest recovery rate since January 01 last till date.

He said that being state of the art medical institution, the patients prefer Shaikh Zayed Hospital for specialised treatment because all facilities are available under one umbrella.

He said that most of the serious heart patients suffering from multiple medical complications from liver, kidney, diabetic and high blood pressure are mostly refused open heart surgeries by other hospitals in the city but our cardiac ward is ray of hope for such patients who were not only cared properly but operated upon successfully with much better recovery rate.

Prof Dr. Ajmal Naqvi said that coronary diseases are one of the major causes of death among the adult population in the country both in the rural and urban areas. He said statistics revealed that the major chunk of the total deaths in adult population was caused by coronary diseases. Sudden deaths are the manifestation of such ailments, he observed.

He called upon the general practitioners to undertake the screening of 'high-risk' individuals on regular basis. He said that patients of coronary diseases were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups and the latter group is put on oral medical treatment.

Dr. Ajmal Naqvi said that options left for treatment of high risk group were bypass surgery and angioplasty etc. He said that modification of diet patterns of diabetic patients, controlling cholesterol level and weight were a must regime. He stressed the urgent need for holding series of symposia on coronary diseases at university and college level to create awareness among the people about heart diseases. He urged the print and electronic media to play their role in enhancing people's awareness about preventive strategies for major diseases.

40-bed ICU, 25 private rooms being built at PIC



Staff Reporter

LAHORE: A 40-bed ICU and 25 private rooms are nearing completion from donations here in the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

The PIC Medical Superintendent Dr. Riaz Ahmad Ch said on Sunday that PIC would be made a model institute for treatment of the cardio vascular diseases to benefit people from Pakistan and abroad.

The government is providing all possible assistance to the PIC to extend the latest treatment facilities to the patients, he said and added that cooperation of private sector as well as philanthropists is also being sought. He said that a 40-bed ICU and 25 private rooms are being completed from donations.

He said that 77 percent patients were treated free of cost at PIC and all outdoor patients were being provided Rs. 300,000 free medicines daily whereas, deserving indoor patients were also provided free treatment even cardiac surgery/angioplasty.

He said that the new additional building of OPD is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 160 million that would solve the problem of rush of patients in outdoor, whereas, emergency ward was under construction and it would be completed within stipulated time. He said that residences for doctors and nurses were under construction and upon the completion the residential problems of the doctors, nurses and other paramedics would be solved whereas valuable land of PIC had been retrieved from illegal occupants.

‘Rs 180 million medicines provided to general public’



Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Population Welfare Neelam Jabbar Ch has said that Rs 180 million medicines for general ailments have been provided to the general public, whereas, the department is also providing services to mother & child health treatment for miscellaneous diseases.

While talking to various delegations, Neelam Jabbar Ch. said that government is introducing executable reforms in social sector and Rs. 110 billion and 35 billion would be spent on education and health respectively, whereas, record amount of Rs. 160 billion has been reserved for developmental schemes. She said government has reserved Rs. 145 billion for the welfare of poor masses so that to minimize their hardships. She said that Rs.30 billion would be spent for the provision of food items as well as Rs.1 billion has been reserved for the provision of homes to the shelter less people. She said that the provincial government has declared promotion of education as one of the top priorities of the government and has introduced Universal Education Programme under which every child of Punjab will go to school by 2010, whereas, Rs. 200 million has been reserved in the current fiscal year budget for the scholarship of needy students of professional educational institutions.

Rs 160b allocated for uplift: Neelam



Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Population Welfare Neelam Jabbar Ch has said that the present government is paying full attention towards provision of state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the people at grass root level. She said that through reengineering of the present resources the Punjab government has provided dialysis machines, relevant equipment and medicines at a cost of Rs.540 million to the 30 DHQs and 3 THQs in the province.

While addressing delegations of doctors, social workers, medical community & LHWs the Minister assured that government would support educational institutions and NGOs to hold awareness campaigns for the benefit of people, however, she asked teachers, religious & community leaders as well as mass media to join hands with the government to educate the general public regarding the protective measures from avoidable / preventable diseases.

She said that government is introducing executable reforms in social sector for the regeneration of existing resources so that maximum targets could be achieved for the provision of better education, health care and sanitation facilities to the masses. She said that present government has enhanced the education and heath budget so that mega projects could be started as well as to ensure the timely completion of such projects. She said that Rs. 110 billion and 35 billion would be spent on education and health respectively, whereas, record amount of Rs. 160 billion has been reserved for developmental schemes, it concluded.

PM Gilani lays foundation stone of Trauma Centre

Updated at: 0215 PST, Sunday, January 11, 2009
KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here Saturday laid the foundation stone of Rs. 2.5 billion state-of-art Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Accident, Emergency and Trauma Center at Civil Hospital and declared that it will be completed within two years with 50:50 cost sharing by the Federal and Sindh Governments.

Addressing the impressive foundation stone laying ceremony the Prime Minister pointed out that it was the vision and desire of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto that such kind of centers should be established all over the country to provide immediate treatment to the victims of rail and road accidents, natural disasters, suicide and bomb attacks.

He said the Center is a part of the emergency preparedness mechanism being implemented by the Peoples Party Government in accordance with its manifesto and vision of its leader.

He noted with delight that this is the largest single hospital project to be undertaken in the last twenty years jointly by the Sindh Government and the Federal Government and said the project would benefit a vast majority of people with modern facilities and care without any discrimination.

The Prime Minister said we are cognizant of the fact that emergency management in the country requires knowledge and information on hazard identification, risk assessment as well as linkages between disaster preparedness.

The role of Health Sector in emergencies is highly significant as the doctors and paramedical staffs play a key role in saving lives and mitigating effects of disasters, he emphasised.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan is exposed to natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, landslides, droughts, communicable diseases and currently it is facing suicide bombings and attacks. The nation has always dealt with these disasters with courage and determination, he added.

source: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp?id=64689

HEALTH WATCH: Polio re-emergence (http://www.dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/sci-tech+world/polio+re+emergence)

Wednesday, 14 Jan, 2009 | 03:24 PM PST |

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Haider Waraich looks into factors that led to a four-fold increase in cases of polio in Pakistan last year, and suggests ways to eradicate the disease.

Starting off with the new year, public health officials had rather forget about the year gone by as polio not only remains an endemic in Pakistan, years after the promise of the disease’s elimination was made, but cases are actually increasing and factors hindering vaccinators also increase in the face of dwindling efforts.

From the marginalised class to even the elite of the country, resistance to polio vaccination is on the rise. What is needed is not just an organisational turn around but a vast social makeover – a task of undeniable magnitude.

Poliomyelitis virus infection results in an acute flaccid paralysis that affects young children, crippling them for life. Since 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) had reduced cases of polio from 350,000 in 1988 to less than 2000 in 2006, a reduction of 99 per cent! Polio endemic countries are down from 125 to just four. And all this is the result of the cooperation of 200 countries, immunisation of two billion children, 20 million volunteers and US$5 billion in international aid. This initiative is one of the greatest success stories of the 20th Century, for at one point polio paralysed a thousand children each day.

Polio and Pakistan in 2008

The global initiative against polio started with fairly ambitious goals. Following the success of the worldwide smallpox campaign, which resulted in the elimination of the pathogen from face of the Earth, similar targets were set for polio, and scientists proclaimed that they would reduce the polio virus to history books.

The year 2005 was of some optimism in Pakistan, and it was stated widely by vaccinators that the end was at hand. Alas, as we all know, that was more wishful thinking than anything else. According to WHO figures updated till the month of December, polio remains endemic in four countries in the world: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Last year, 118 cases of polio were reported in Pakistan, up from 30 in 2007, a four-fold increase in just a year. Needless to say, worldwide goals for the complete elimination of polio have been curtailed to eradication.

It is interesting to note that Pakistan was also one of the last four countries in the world to eliminate smallpox. According to the figures released by the EPI pertaining to the polio cases in 2008, 84 per cent of the cases received doses of the polio vaccine, and 30 per cent received all three doses. This shows the important role of repeat doses, even more than three (since 30 per cent did have all three) to boost immunity in children against polio. Furthermore, this also indicates that there might have been denatured vaccines due to cold chain breakdown or defaulting delivery since appropriate doses are not having the expected protective effect.

Another factor well-established by looking at these cases is maternal illiteracy – 89 per cent of the cases were children of uneducated mothers. This reinforces what public health officials know already, that maternal education and awareness is directly correlated to better child survival. Linked to this is the fact that lack of female vaccinators is also directly linked to an increased incidence of polio cases. This is an important point to note for policymakers, who need to increase the number of female vaccinators in areas where the cases are being reported.

Major hindrances

The barriers facing universal immunisation against polio are multi-pronged. No improvement can occur with isolated efforts and a board sweep is necessary to remove endemic polio cases from Pakistan.

Religious opposition: The situation in the tribal areas of Pakistan is one of the biggest hindrances to effective polio vaccination programme. Some religious extremists denounce vaccination as an American ploy to sterilise Muslims and another common superstition being stoked by extremists is that vaccination is an attempt to avert the Will of Allah. On top of these spurious claims, they have martyred EPI officials in Bajaur.

Vaccination campaigns in Nigeria and Afghanistan have also been hampered by Islamic extremists; this was especially so in the Nigerian province of Kano in 2003, which resulted in the infection returning to eight previously polio-free countries in Africa.

All this has had a catastrophic effect on polio vaccination. Not only does it directly affect the immune-protection of the 160,000 susceptible children in Bajaur, the virus has been exported to parts of the country which had previously been declared polio-free, such as Islamabad. Moreover, the amount of virus entering the country through the volatile border with Afghanistan has increased. Epidemiologists have found a positive movement of the polio virus from endemic districts in Afghanistan, most of which lie in the southern region bordering Pakistan, to the NWFP.

To counter this, the government has taken several steps, including calling a truce with militants and allowing for vaccination to continue. Unless peace is restored in these regions, polio cases in these areas will keep on emerging.

Cold chain breakdown: A cold chain is vital for vaccine delivery and effectiveness. The cold chain begins from the point of manufacture of a vaccine to its entry into the mouth/muscle of the child to be vaccinated. A low enough temperature needs to be maintained so that the immunogenic components of the vaccine are not degraded. Lack of cold chain maintenance might be the reason why a proper immune response is not being produced in children who have received appropriate number of vaccine doses.

Among the vaccines that are part of EPI, polio and measles are most sensitive to temperature. Maintenance requires that those responsible for supervising the refrigerators used to store vaccines record the temperature twice daily, and maintain it close to 4-5°C. Cold chain maintenance has further been hampered over the past few years due to incessant loadshedding. To counter this, EPI has taken several steps.

With the help of international donors, ice-lined refrigerators, which can sustain temperatures over 18 hours, have been supplied; however, their coverage remains low. EPI has provided generators but fuel remains scarce. In some villages, elders have been encouraged to hold vaccines in their own private refrigerators.

Routine immunisation failure: One of the factors cited most commonly by experts in the field is the failure of routine immunisation in Pakistan. This failure follows a worldwide trend of falling routine immunisation, reflected by a reduction in coverage of DPT, a trivalent vaccine which is a part of most immunisation programmes. Emphasis is paid on national immunisation days (NIDs) which some experts feel has a negative impact on routine immunisation, of which polio drops are an intrinsic component. A number of factors can be cited and one of those is the low level of motivation in vaccinators on the field and limited resources at their disposal.

Routine immunisations encourage people to carry their vaccination cards, which are usually lost by parents; this hampers surveillance efforts and increases the chances of parents missing doses at the appropriate times.

Fears of vaccine-induced adverse effects: A host of other minor hurdles abound, including false fears of the vaccine’s adverse effects, which are prevalent even in some well-educated families of Pakistan. This has resulted in reports that many elite schools turned vaccinators away from their doors. There is a one-in-a-million chance that the attenuated virus in the vaccines might cause poliomyelitis in the child receiving the vaccine, however, no case of vaccine-induced-paralysis has been reported in Pakistan to date.

Polio and Pakistan in 2009

As we look at the year ahead, the situation is not all that gloomy. To its credit, Pakistan has an effective surveillance system in place, an existing cadre of vaccinators, including lady health workers, a motivated central leadership and international donors who are committed to eradicating vaccine preventable disease in Pakistan.

The great challenge at hand is to mop up whatever is left of the disease and to limit its spread. Polio is a disease that disables for life, and it has been reduced to vague obscurity in most of the world. For Pakistan to follow suit, we must have greater collaboration between different arms of governmental, nongovernmental and civic agencies.
Stakeholders have already been sensitised to the need for polio eradication and the money at hand should be utilised appropriately. Vaccinators should have vehicles and fuel to run them with, the number of female vaccinators should be increased, ice-lined refrigerators should be more widespread and stricter temperature control should be administered.

Most importantly, routine immunisation should be strengthened and people should be sensitised to the need for taking vaccination seriously, taking care of their vaccination cards and ensuring timely doses. Moderate religious leaders should be involved in the process and campaigning should be done to remove superstitions from the minds of the common folk.

Media has played a very positive role in highlighting polio cases, with some channels teaming up with EPI, and they should be encouraged to continue their good work. It must be realised that a massive epidemic of polio can result due to any carelessness or continuance of the status quo. The EPI has no choice but to evolve in the face of the re-emergence of polio in Pakistan.

WTF? I thought polio was eradicated in Pakistan.

^^ thanx to our illiterate mullas and lack of awearness through different types of medias this problem still remains to be seen.

WTF? I thought polio was eradicated in Pakistan.

polio drops is a jewish conspiracy to render the pure, truthful,honest and hard-working mo'min impotent, so they can rule the world :yes:

Anybody who disagrees is a jewish agent and deserves to be killed.

polio drops is a jewish conspiracy to render the pure, truthful,honest and hard-working mo'min impotent, so they can rule the world :yes:

Anybody who disagrees is a jewish agent and deserves to be killed.
Now it all makes sense. Gotta tell everyone, so they don't visit polio camps. Crippled children are a big 'fcuk you' to Jews. Take that kikes!

PIMS gets bone marrow transplant centre



ONLINE

ISLAMABAD: Bone marrow transplant centre would be inaugurated at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) today (Tuesday).

Federal Health Minister Ijaz Ahmed Khan Jhakrani would be chief guest in the ceremony. He would also visit children hospital in PIMS. A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that transplants healthy bone marrow into a patient whose bone marrow is not working properly.

Bone marrow is a soft, fatty tissue inside the bones. This is where blood cells (red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells) are produced, and develop.

Pims ready to carry out bone marrow transplantation (http://epaper.dawn.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=21_01_2009_153_011)
ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: Federal Minister for Health Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani inaugurated a bone marrow and stem cell transplantation unit in the Children Hospital of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) here on Tuesday.

With the establishment of this unit Pims has become the first state-run hospital offering the facility of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Initially, the unit will treat six children suffering from thalassemia, a genetically communicated blood disorder.

According to estimates, the country has around 50,000 recognised children suffering from this illness and an approximate 500 new cases every year.

The BMT unit is an outcome of public-private partnership between Pims and Cure2Children Foundation of Italy. The two-bedded unit has been named after Simone Montomoli, an Italian child who died of cancer, and the family of diseased made a donation of 15,000 for its civil work through the foundation.

Pims Executive Director Majeed Rajput said the unit would carry out bone marrow transplantations for thalassemia, aplastic anaemia and childhood leukemias, according to the international standards.

The initial transplants, he said, would be performed under the supervision of world-renowned team of Italian BMT doctors and nurses. The team will not only supervise the transplants but also train the Pakistani professors to ensure the local ownership and long-term sustainability of the facility.

Pims will provide all the infrastructural facilities and support services, which included diagnostic facilities, equipments and drugs currently available in Pims, free of cost to the patients, whereas Cure2Children is committed to arranging BMT specific tests, Mr Rajput said.

This BMT unit will limit the travel of children with severe disease aboard, and possibly attract patients from other countries, he hoped.

The Pims executive director said: “We also intend to offer training to other aspiring hospitals and professionals. For this we have already committed the training of health professionals from Lahore Children Hospital.” There are also plans to expand the service scale by increasing the number of beds from two to 16 so that maximum number of children could be provided with treatment.

The federal minister said the BMT unit was a much needed facility which remained missing mainly because that health sector was never given priority.

He said the illness could be prevented by creating awareness and providing prenatal diagnostic facility in the country.

Mr Jakhrani ensured his full support for further expanding the programme and expeditiously processing the PC-I being prepared at Pims in this regard.

Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) will contribute Rs300,000 for treatment of every patient undergoing bone marrow transplantation at the unit, PBM Managing Director Zamurad Khan announced while speaking on the ceremony.

He appreciated the opening of the BMT facility in the public hospital, terming it a milestone in providing health care facilities to the people. Sharing details of the health projects initiated by his department, Mr Khan said five centres meant for exclusive treatment of hepatitis-C would be established soon.

Italian Ambassador Vicenzo Prati was also present on the occasion. He hoped to strengthen the existing level of cooperation between Pakistan and Italy in the field of health care.

Dr Lawrence Faulkner, founder and medical board coordinator of the Cure2Children Foundation, Florence, Italy also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Faulkner, who is a prominent and distinguished member of the team which carried out the first-ever bone marrow transplantation in the world, felt the need for increased cooperation among all the stakeholders, if this programme was to be made a success story.

Earlier, the minister cut the ribbon at the inaugural ceremony which was attended by a gathering of doctors, paramedics and members of the civil society.

The first government-run bone marrow centre in Sindh will start functioning at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) Karachi in March.

The Child Aid Association president and former director of NICH, Prof Nizamul Hassan, said on Friday that the administration of the institute had allotted them the third floor of institute’s building to establish the bone marrow centre.

He said patients would be treated free at the centre, adding that private hospitals charged approximately Rs1.5 million for this facility.

The association would run this centre and for this purpose, he said, they had imparted special training to a doctor and a nurse with the help of Army Bone Marrow Transplant Centre, Rawalpindi.

He said they had 10 more qualified doctors and nurses. However, they still lacked services of trained laboratory technicians, he added.

The National Institute of Child Health had 12 beds for children suffering from cancer, while more than 200 children suffering from cancer came to the hospital every month, he said. :shocked:

He said more beds were being arranged. He said the new centre would have 80 beds.

He urged the government to provide the association a separate premises and staff so that better facilities could be provided to patients.


source: http://www.dawn.com/2009/01/24/local11.htm

I think most of those kids have blood cancer (leukemia). It's curable. My friend had it and it was cured. The only downside is that he gained a lot of weight as a side-effect of the meds.

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Jinnah Hospital allocates special budget for patients



Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Jinnah Hospital administration Wednesday announced a new mechanism to improve patients' handling by allocating a separate and special budget. According to the said mechanism, a doctor, a ward boy and a staff nurse will be nominated every month for cash prize Rs10,000 each for best care to the patients. Interestingly, the nomination of these three hospital employees will be made on the feedback of the patients only. The hospital administration would get feedback from the admitted patients about the performance of the doctors.

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In this photo taken on late night April 25, 2009, a Pakistani HIV-infected couple Rubina Naz, left, and Mohammad Iqbal pose for photographs during their wedding ceremony in Karachi, Pakistan. Naz and Iqbal, both are HIV-infected and patients of AIDS, got married, the first ever known marriage of HIV positive carrier in the area, which is considered a stigma in this conservative society

Where;d they get it from?

It reminds me of this dating website for HIV patients.

Where;d they get it from?

It reminds me of this dating website for HIV patients.

Seriously, how old are you?

You seem to have more memories than a 100 year old grandmother!

Seriously, how old are you?

You seem to have more memories than a 100 year old grandmother!
???

[IMG]
In this photo taken on late night April 25, 2009, a Pakistani HIV-infected couple Rubina Naz, left, and Mohammad Iqbal pose for photographs during their wedding ceremony in Karachi, Pakistan. Naz and Iqbal, both are HIV-infected and patients of AIDS, got married, the first ever known marriage of HIV positive carrier in the area, which is considered a stigma in this conservative society

HIV patients have to take like 25-30 pills a day. How can anyone in Pakistan afford them? Does the government help people with HIV in any way?

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday inaugurated the Central Laboratory at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).

The laboratory has been set up with the joint efforts of DOW doctors of the 1983 batch, at a total cost of Rs 90 million. It is an important computerised diagnostic lab and is equipped with all necessary facilities.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister described the setting up of this lab as an important noble initiative of the DOW students and said that other philanthropists should follow in their footsteps to help the poor. app

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Smoking a shisha for an hour was the same as smoking 100 cigarettes, warned Dr Suleman Haque, Consultant Chest Physician, Aga Khan University Hospital.—Reuters/File


KARACHI: Pakistan should implement already existing anti-tobacco laws to protect people from the tobacco epidemic, especially as the country has signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control — requiring signatories to post ‘health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use’ on cigarette packets and recommending that pictures form part of the warnings.

This is what experts recommended at a seminar organised by Aga Khan University (AKU) in collaboration with the Pakistan Chest Society, the National Alliance for Tobacco Control and Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) to commemorate World No Tobacco Day and its 2009 theme ‘Tobacco Health Warnings,’ APP reports.

‘Health warnings that include pictures have been proven to motivate cigarette smokers to quit and to positively impact those still not addicted,’ said Professor Javaid Khan, Head of Pulmonary Medicine, AKU.

Professor Khan said that around 100,000 deaths occur from tobacco use annually in Pakistan and over half of the adult population is addicted to it in some form or the other.

He made a strong call for immediate introduction of picture warnings on cigarette boxes, asserting that this would lead to a very positive impact on smokers and especially young people.

On similar lines, Shahzad Alam from WHO recommended that health warnings should have strong, clear language and must include pictures highlighting the health risk associated with tobacco use.

President PIMA Dr. Sohail Akhtar, pointed out that at the time of the Prophet (PBUH) tobacco was not available or used in that part of the world. Nevertheless, a number of general principles were laid down from which many laws are derived.

Second-hand smoke is an already proven risk factor for chronic obstructive lung disease, lung cancer, asthma as well as heart attacks.

Drawing on this, Consultant Chest Physician, Aga Khan University Hospital Dr Suleman Haque, said that lung cancer is the number one cause of deaths from cancer in Pakistani men and over 90per cent of such cases are the direct result of tobacco use.

He called for the retraction of the Ministry of Health’s statutory regulatory order which allows smoking at designated places in enclosed public areas, including hotels and restaurants, once again.

Citing an AKU research study conducted last year, Dr. Haque said that over half of Karachi’s university students were smoking tobacco through a shisha or water pipe; smoking a shisha for an hour was the same as smoking 100 cigarettes, he warned.

The role of health professionals in anti-tobacco campaigns cannot be over-emphasised: PMA President Dr. Aziz Khan and Head, Department of Chest Diseases, JPMC Dr. Nadeem Rizvi, both highlighted the role of family physicians in helping patients quit smoking.
Dr. Rizvi said that all doctors are morally bound to educate the public on health-related issues. Research shows that even brief, three-minute counselling by doctors on quitting smoking can bring about significant results.

It was unfortunate, he said, that tobacco use, gutka and pan masala form is on the rise, especially among children, resulting in a higher incidence of head, neck and mouth cancers.

Pakistan currently tops the global list of incidence rates for oral cancer.

An estimated 1,500 young people a day take up smoking, helped by aggressive marketing by tobacco companies.

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine at AKU Dr Muhammad Irfan, said that city governments need to initiate an education campaign on tobacco and its hazards in schools and colleges and appealed for implementing the existing laws clearly prohibiting sale of tobacco products within 50 metres of educational institutions.

Dow University of Health Sciences’ medical student Owais Khan, representing SPASM—Students Promoting Anti-Smoking Measures—called for medical school curricula to include tobacco control and smoking cessation as a subject.

In the end, prizes were awarded to winners of a poster competition on Tobacco Health Warnings.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sci-tech/09-tobacco-kills-100000-every-year-in-pakistan-seminar-szh--03

Karachi

The Dow Diagnostic Complex at the Ojha Campus of the Dow University was inaugurated by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan.

The diagnostic complex would provide low-cost and high quality and most modern diagnostic facilities to public on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 1.5 Tasla, Computed Tomography (CT) Scan 16 slices Bright Speed X-ray, mammography and Colour Doppler Machine. All tests performed on those machines were fast and accurate.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed was the guest of honor.

Khan said that all these facilities will be provided for the first time in Pakistan at very affordable rates. He said that a few of these tests were only available at very high rates in the laboratories of some big private hospitals.

He congratulated Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Masood Hameed Khan and his team on their efforts. Dr Ahmed said that he was glad that the Dow University had started not only degree courses for nurses and technicians but also concentrated on providing better healthcare facilities to people.

He appreciated that the Dow Laboratory and Radiology Departments were providing all diagnostic tests to the public at 40 percent to 60 percent less rates than private sector laboratories, adding that the machines in Dow University were the latest.

Prof. Masood Hameed Khan said that the Dow University had completed over 40 projects in five years. He mentioned that he stressed upon three domains: enhancing the quality of medical education as per international standards — a quality enhancement cell will be established for the purpose; producing human resources in medical and other affiliated departments, such as nursing and medical technology by introducing graduate and postgraduate education; providing all possible better healthcare facilities to the public at affordable prices.

He mentioned that now it would be possible to provide proper treatment to many cancer patients who could not have been treated promptly due to expensive diagnostic tests.

Prof. Khan said that the Dow University had spent Rs180 million on machines only the for establishment of the Radiology Department.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=181867

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CDA launches Health Card System



Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has launched Health Card System for the employees of hotels, motels and restaurants aimed at preventing them from communicable diseases, Director General Health CDA Dr Saeed Ahmed Monday told.

He said the regular medical checkups of the employees of hotels, motels, restaurants and 'Chappar hotels' have been made mandatory. Moreover, the CDA has made mandatory the tests of hepatitis B,C and other contagious diseases of the employees of barber shops and beauty saloons.

CDA has also launched an awareness campaign; urging the people to ensure maximum use of water and vegetables.

Sargodha to have cardiology hospital



Associated Press of Pakistan

SARGODHA: Benazir Cardiology Hospital will be set up on 89 kanals of land here at Sargodha-Faisalabad Road.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Riffat Amin Niazi said this while talking to newsmen here on Monday.

Its feasibility report has been sent to the federal government, she added.

She further said that in divisional teaching hospital Sargodha, a new ward consisting of 411-bed in contiguous with DHO office is also being constructed whose preliminary estimation is Rs 67 crores. Out of which, Rs.32 crores will be spent on its construction and Rs 35 crores on purchase of machinery whose pc-I has been approved by the government and its building would be completed within 4 years.

She said that government has released the funds of Rs 18.7 million to make sure the supply of medicines for the treatment of patients.

To provide x-ray films to hospital, steps are being taken on priority whereas CT scan and other machines are already working, she added.

Another Benazir? :bash:

I am from Sargodha and it was much needed hospital....
but again the name is : :bash:

ik Zardari sab pe bhaari :bash:
Good work by Imran Khan...i think Karachi branch is functional now??

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Good work by Imran Khan...i think Karachi branch is functional now??

Yes no doubt about it, but i thought that Karachi branch was still U/C!

Pakistan lauded for TB control efforts



Sibghatullah Virk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has best health institutes and "I am surprised to know about them", said Global Stop TB Ambassador Anne Cataldi.

She was talking to media persons here.

She paid tributes to the efforts of the "Land" in scraping off TB in the country. She said that Pakistan has one of the best hospitals and health institutes in the capital and along the stretch of the land especially in Karachi. She also said that she has witnessed latest equipment, hygienic environment and comprehensive health care system in health institutes in Pakistan.

:banana: is she being too positive?

"We are trying to raise awareness and knowledge about this disease in the public and trying to provide public with medicine and curing measures," she quoted. "It was Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) who deserves credit since both of them were playing remarkably in the elimination of this disease from Pakistan," she added.

She also thanked international community to provide wealth from Global Fund since it was a costly project and no country could bear the expense if it had not been sponsored by Global Fund. According to Ms Anne it takes Rs. 8000 to provide one patient with treatment since country is bearing the TB victims 5% of total diseases.

Dr. Noor Baloch, an official of National TB Programme, also spoke on the occasion and told media that 170 million USD have been provided for this project for five years and we have established 1163 TB detection centers along rural and urban stretch of the country and constructed 5000 centers to provide free medicine and complete treatment to the victims.

He also told that Cause Detection Rate has increased from 70% to 74% while 91% of the victims are cured by the disease. He also commented that 22 countries are badly affected by TB whereas Pakistan's condition is quite satisfactory. "We have victims mostly in rural areas or from urban slums so we are planning to cover both of the patches with latest evolving management system", he indicated.

While answering a question Noor told that we have a comprehensive surveillance system from district level to national and 30 officials serve the purpose. "They assure the flow of information and data from root to the top professionally", he uttered.

According to Dr. Noor Baloch private sector is also being involved in this program and private practitioners would be provided with medicines which they could provide to the patients complimentary.

"We have also evolved a monitoring system to observe the smooth and transparent flow of medicines to the patients and we will fight this disease well," he added.

PAKISTAN:FEHMIDA URGES PEOPLE TO MAKE POLIO VACCINATION DRIVE SUCCESSFUL
ISLAMABAD, April 26 (NNN-APP): Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker National Assembly, Monday urged the people from all segments of society to enthusiastically participate in the polio vaccination drive to save the children from the crippling disease.

The Speaker said this in her message on the launch of nation-wide Polio Vaccination Drive.

She urged Ulema, parents, teachers and other public functionaries for their cooperation to administer polio drops to children up to age of five years.

She said that Ministry of Health, Provincial and District Health Department have chalked out a comprehensive strategy and arranged mobile teams to vaccinate children door-to-door throughout the country.

She said that polio was a crippling disease that continues to threaten health of our children.

She said that unfortunately Pakistan was among the half dozen countries in the world which were still not completely polio free.

Recalling the first Polio Eradication Initiative launched by the government of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Dr. Fehmida Mirza said that Shaheed Mohtarma had a strong conviction to eradicate polio from the country which was demonstration of her commitment to improve the social sector, particularly the health of children.

She said that the aim of the government was to make Pakistan completely polio free where no child lives in the fear of being crippled for life. She said that unfortunately the extremists and militants opposed the vaccination of children against polio.

She said that we will not permit militants to deprive our children of basic health care. Let us pledge that no child who should get polio drops, will be missed out, the Speaker said. http://www.namnewsnetwork.org/v2/read.php?id=118226

^^ I hope Pakistan to become polio-free country soon ( inshallah )

( during my medical study it is ) really sad to listen the name of Pakistan among the countries where polio could not be eliminated.

Does anyone know if there is any government sponsored health program for poor people? What about pensioners? Are they eligible for any government sponsored health coverage?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5288538083_c2f49fb811_b.jpg

^^ I think this a very good idea if implemented with full naik-niyaat. This is the only practical way to reach out to remote areas on weekly basis.

i must say this is a great initiatve..!!

They can only perform basic medical care in these units, no operations or anything. But great initiative nonetheless.

A state-of-the-art surgical tower at the Mayo Hospital will be ready in June this year at a cost of Rs 1.5 billion, Medical Superintendent Dr Zahid Pervez said.

He said work on the project was in progress, which after completion would meet the needs of ever rising number of patients in the hospital.

A sum of Rs 250 million had already been spent while Rs 500 million more were released by the government. The release of remaining allocated funds have also been promised, he added.

He said the surgical tower consisted of 16 operation theatres with 825-bed capacity and it would function round the clock. After its completion, the hospital's total bed capacity would increase to 3,025.

Mayo Hospital Under Construction Surgical Tower:

4aSF9ZPntqc

Pakistanis happier than Indians: Gallup surveyIANS | Apr 21, 2011, 10.07am IST


WASHINGTON: India has ranked 71st in happiness with only 17% people describing themselves as "thriving" in a new study of well-being that gives Denmark the top spot among 124 countries surveyed.

With Danes ranked the most contented people on the planet with a whopping 72% of residents considering themselves "thriving," Sweden and Canada followed close behind, each at 69% in Gallup's 2010 Global Wellbeing Survey.

The US came in somewhat near the middle of the pack, with 59% of Americans thriving.

A majority of Indians (64%) believe they are "struggling" while 19% think they are "suffering" according to the survey. Surprisingly Pakistanis were found to be happier. Pakistan was ranked 40th with 32% "thriving". Among other neighbours, Bangladesh was placed 89 with only 13% thriving, while China was ranked 92 with only 12% happy respondents.
A median of just 21% were found to be "thriving" in the Gallup survey polling 1,000 adults, age 15 and older, in both face-to-face and telephone interviews in each country throughout 2010.

Outside of Europe and the Americas, however, other nations fared considerably less well. A mere 12% of the population considered themselves to be thriving in Egypt, followed by 6% in Kenya and, dead last, Chad with 1%.

Health= happiness?
Wow, I am not shocked though.

"struggling", "suffering" and "thriving" as used above has to do with their feelings about themselves, their achievements and/or the current situation and has nothing whatsoever to do with health.

Where did you get the idea of health from?

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Ahmadrashid/1101223183-1.gif

A 200-bed general hospital would be built in Orangi Town at a cost of Rs 700 million. Sindh Labour Minister Amir Nawab Khan announced this here on Monday. He said the PC-I of the project has been prepared and forwarded to the Chief Minister’s House for approval. The minister was performing the inauguration of laying water pipeline in Islamnagar UC 1.

Pakistanis happier than Indians: Gallup survey

Yess. Our only objective in this world is to beat Indians in every way.

Okay, first of all...This article was written in India Times, not some Pakistani newspapers and that was the title of it. So relax.

Secondly, I wanted to post it under social sector--because well being is part of it--but the next closest thing was this thread.

Thirdly, this isn't some indian bashing--look at my history, I actually defend Pakistani threads from such people--, I simply posted it because I found it to be very interesting.

^^ I know you weren't Indian Bashing. Its just hate it when people write articles like that. May contain information, but in a biased form.

http://www.express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20110510/Sub_Images/1101237619-1.jpg
And still young doctors of Punjab have rejected this increment! I wonder what are they upto now!

^^ They have accepted this package now, the problem was that Punjab Govt. hasn't gave them this package in writing (so YDA werenot trusting Punjab Govt.)...

are you sure ARA ..? so this package will be for the whole of punjab right.. ?

i hope no one is objecting now!

^^ Yes, its for whole Punjab...

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday revealed that mobile hospitals would be provided at all Tehsil Headquarters under a phased programme and 50 such hospitals were being acquired this year.

“Al-out resources are being utilised for rapid development of the province and welfare of the masses while special attention is being paid to the uplift of backward and less-developed areas,” he told the Punjab Assembly members of various districts who called on him here. They included Muhammad Jamil Malik, Haji Imran Zafar, Ch Ali Asghar Munda and Ch Abdul Razaq Dhilon.

“The government is custodian of every penny of public money and timely and transparent completion of all development projects is being ensured so that people could benefit from them as early as possible,” the chief minister further told them. He said service to the people was the mission of the Pakistan Muslim League-N and all out measures were being taken for its achievement under PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif.

The chief minister added that solid measures had been taken for the uplift of education sector for equipping the youth with the latest knowledge while the project of mobile hospitals had been started for providing modern health facilities to the people of backward areas at their doorstep, and people were benefiting from this project. “Various projects have been started for elimination of unemployment including provision of soft-term loans and Yellow Cab scheme for enabling the educated youth stand on their own feet. These projects will help in overcoming unemployment,” he said.

He asserted that corruption and misappropriation of funds in development projects had now become history and the present government had not only turned the graveyards of corruption of former government into monuments of development, but also promoted the culture of transparency in the execution of development schemes.

Iran to set up medical centres in Pakistan

Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) will collaborate with Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to set up medical centres at provincial levels in all parts of the country, said a press release issued by PRCS in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The project aims to strengthen the bilateral cooperation and relations between the two countries, said PRCS Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar while talking to a group of journalists.

Bakhtiar, who recently returned from Iran, said she met with the top officials of IRCS during her official tour and visited the projects being run by the society.

She said the visit was “very fruitful” as the IRCS is willing to start different projects in Pakistan, adding that the projects would aim to “minimise the sufferings of vulnerable people”.

“PRCS will extend its full support in the establishment of medical centres and continuation of other activities,” she added. She said that the PRCS will assist IRCS in obtaining necessary permission and no objection certificate from the government for the equipment being brought for relief operations.

The project will provide an opportunity for both societies to learn, share experiences and exchange technical knowledge in different fields. It will make further efforts towards expansion of cooperation in all fields, including disaster
management, health and volunteers’ training, explained Bakhtiar.

She said that the IRCS always stood with Pakistan in its hour of need, and these steps would help increase cooperation between the two countries.

this is for the PML-N supporters to open their eyes



Imran condemns Punjab government’s fascist acts

Islamabad, September 17:

In order to hide its own criminal neglect, and in order to extract political mileage out of a matter that is strictly human, the government of Punjab has resorted to harassing the functionaries of Shaukat Khanum Laboratory Collection Centres and has even arrested some of them. This is in spite of the fact that SKMCH has reduced the cost of the basic CBC test to Rs. 80 against the government announced ceiling of Rs. 90.

In a press release issued from the Central Secretariat of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Islamabad, Omar Cheema, Central Information Secretary said that the latest act of Shahbaz Sharif not only reflects his complete political bankruptcy, but is also a condemnable attempt aimed at stopping the most acclaimed humanitarian organisation, nationally and internationally, from serving the poor people of the country. He must realise that SKMCH laboratories spread throughout the country constitute the only source for generating funds that are invested in the free treatment of the poor cancer patients at the hospital. These funds are not spent on buying properties and building businesses in London, France and elsewhere in the world. They are, instead, meant for free treatment of people thousands of whom have been cured of cancer at SKMCH.

Imran Khan, who is in London concerning the launch of his book “Pakistan: a personal history” in the UK, when contacted, condemned the act in the strongest words and termed it the beginning of the end of the corrupt and anti-people leadership of PML-N. He appealed to his party workers and functionaries to stay calm and continue serving the poor people in their hour of need.

^^ ... people of Pakistan really should make the right choice in next election ... and they should know that a country is run by INSTITUTIONS and NOT by building roads and bridges!!!

That's messed up!

this is for the PML-N supporters to open their eyes



Imran condemns Punjab government’s fascist acts

Islamabad, September 17:

In order to hide its own criminal neglect, and in order to extract political mileage out of a matter that is strictly human, the government of Punjab has resorted to harassing the functionaries of Shaukat Khanum Laboratory Collection Centres and has even arrested some of them. This is in spite of the fact that SKMCH has reduced the cost of the basic CBC test to Rs. 80 against the government announced ceiling of Rs. 90.

In a press release issued from the Central Secretariat of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Islamabad, Omar Cheema, Central Information Secretary said that the latest act of Shahbaz Sharif not only reflects his complete political bankruptcy, but is also a condemnable attempt aimed at stopping the most acclaimed humanitarian organisation, nationally and internationally, from serving the poor people of the country. He must realise that SKMCH laboratories spread throughout the country constitute the only source for generating funds that are invested in the free treatment of the poor cancer patients at the hospital. These funds are not spent on buying properties and building businesses in London, France and elsewhere in the world. They are, instead, meant for free treatment of people thousands of whom have been cured of cancer at SKMCH.

Imran Khan, who is in London concerning the launch of his book “Pakistan: a personal history” in the UK, when contacted, condemned the act in the strongest words and termed it the beginning of the end of the corrupt and anti-people leadership of PML-N. He appealed to his party workers and functionaries to stay calm and continue serving the poor people in their hour of need.

lol, without going political ... truth is that IK's laboratories were charging more than 3000 for a single lab test and that's how they got busted ... ask people who were there. In my opinion Imran Khan is part of the problem.

lol, without going political ... truth is that IK's laboratories were charging more than 3000 for a single lab test and that's how they got busted ... ask people who were there. In my opinion Imran Khan is part of the problem.

even if they were charging 3000, why did ppl do the tests there?? of course they could afford it, thats why. and the money from these ppl went into free treatment of poor patients. thats a fair deal imo.

and btw, it was the govt.'s duty to do mosquito spray. of course they didnt do their job so now thousands of ppl are infected with dengue and the hospitals are over crowded.

even if they were charging 3000, why did ppl do the tests there?? of course they could afford it, thats why. and the money from these ppl went into free treatment of poor patients. thats a fair deal imo.

and btw, it was the govt.'s duty to do mosquito spray. of course they didnt do their job so now thousands of ppl are infected with dengue and the hospitals are over crowded.

Stop giving me this typical Tanga Party BS ... WHY do people go there ? cz. they are desperate to get better .. have you seen the lines at any hospital ? I am currently working on Dengue project in Lahore and I know what is happening on ground on daily basis; Personally met Shahbaz Sharif on this... There's nothing Govt. can do until people change their behaviors towards water and plants, mark my words. All I meant to say was that one should not believe in the political hand-outs .. it's full of lies even if it comes out of PTI or PMLN or whomsoever.

Its not only the collection centers of Shoukat khanam that were sealed, many other major laboratories were sealed, I got my fathers CBC test done from Shoukat khanam & they charged Rs 500, the govt asked the private labs to just reduce the cost of CBC test(& none other test) to Rs 90, and people are running for private test because there are long long longgg ques in Govt hospitals where the CBC test is being done for free and test result is provided immediately whereas the private labs are giving the results after 24 hours even after charging a heavy amount. So this is bull shit by the private labs!

In my opinion Imran Khan is part of the problem.

Finally someone who agrees with me. +1

All I meant to say was that one should not believe in the political hand-outs .. it's full of lies even if it comes out of PTI or PMLN or whomsoever.

:yes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5rukZ53LJ0&feature=player_detailpage

Stop giving me this typical Tanga Party BS ... WHY do people go there ? cz. they are desperate to get better .. have you seen the lines at any hospital ? I am currently working on Dengue project in Lahore and I know what is happening on ground on daily basis; Personally met Shahbaz Sharif on this... There's nothing Govt. can do until people change their behaviors towards water and plants, mark my words. All I meant to say was that one should not believe in the political hand-outs .. it's full of lies even if it comes out of PTI or PMLN or whomsoever.

so its imran khan's fault that ppl are careless about their health?? if there wasnt enough dengue awareness or ppl were careless despite being warned, then too bad. and i'm not an imran khan supporter but why should i suffer financially for someone's else's carelessness??? the govt. cant tell me how much to charge ppl.. charging less than what costs me would be ridiculous!!! :crazy: plus as SH said, they charged him Rs. 500 which is not so bad. anyone can afford Rs. 500 for an emergency if they can afford Rs. 90.

and what's this Tanga Party that i apparently belong to?? :laugh:

In short, instead of giving relief to the people for this dengue virus, Khadim-e-Aala and Punjab govt. is just playing dirty for its failures.

Indian govt sets up polio booths at Wagah (http://tribune.com.pk/story/256345/indian-govt-sets-up-polio-booths-at-wagah/)

NEW DELHI: The Indian government issued orders to set up screening booths at the Wagah border with Pakistan to administer polio drops to all children up to the age of five entering the country by bus or by foot.

Screening at the Wagah Border will continue for four months, the government said.
India is one of four countries that still has not eradicated polio. One polio case was reported this year from West Bengal. No cases have been reported from traditional hotspots
UP and Bihar .

Indians authorities have been put on alert because of an infectious strain of polio in Pakistan.
This year alone, Pakistan has registered 84 new cases of polio, 83 are of the more dangerous strain.

According to a statement issued by UNICEF, “India is surrounded by countries that still have polio virus transmission. Afghanistan and Pakistan have never stopped the transmission. They currently have upgrades of polio virus and just last week, the virus from Pakistan re-infected China.”

The Union Health Ministry has now issued an alarm along the Wagah Border, in Punjab, Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The warning comes after China confirmed that polio re-entered its territory after 10 years. Four infants in China have been infected with the polio virus transmitted from Pakistan, media reports said.

There were reports that people in Pakistan opposed Polio camps because they said it was un-islamic or something or it's an American conspiracy that'l do harm to muslims..

Edited later:

High risk of polio spreading from Pakistan, UN health agency warns (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39624&Cr=polio&Cr1=)

In a global alert and response update, the agency reported that a wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) isolated in China was genetically linked to that currently circulating in Pakistan, where nationwide transmission has so far infected 84 people this year, compared to 48 for the same period of 2010.

Pakistan, one of only four countries where polio remains endemic – the others are Afghanistan, India and Nigeria – has also seen the only wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) case in 2011, a strain that is on the verge of elimination in Asia, and WHO urged countries to continue to boost routine immunization coverage against all strains to minimize the impact of any introduction.

Since the launch in 1988 of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by WHO, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Rotary International and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incidence of polio has been reduced by more than 99 per cent. At the time, more than 350,000 children were paralyzed every year in more than 125 endemic countries. So far in 2011, some 325 cases have been reported worldwide.

Taliban Refuses “Western Conspiracy” Polio Vaccines, Muslim Kids Get Polio (http://www.uncoverage.net/2011/07/taliban-refuses-western-conspiracy-polio-vaccines-muslim-kids-get-polio/)

“It’s a US tool to cut the population of the Muslims. It is against Islam that you take a medicine before the disease”, said, Muslim Khan, Swat’s Taliban spokesman, speaking by telephone.”

Majid Katme, MBBCh,DPM:

We are giving our innocent children haraam (forbidden) substances and harmful chemicals that destroy their natural immune systems, causing disease, suffering and death. All Muslim doctors and parents should be aware of vaccine ingredients, and of the failed efficacy of vaccines. The harm is clearly greater than the benefit. The time has come to take a stand for truth.

everything is a conspiracy it seems..

Where I live, we are having a spray from past 2 months and it's happening very regularly and this month it is happening every week. This is a private housing society and off-course we pay hefty monthly maintenance fees for such things. And then society has enforced water rules as well plus gardeners are cutting extra grass etc ... every day. Only Govt. can't do such things, it's the local body of every area which should handle such things.



http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/sep2011-daily/20-09-2011/updates/9-20-2011_82404_1.gif

pDN5ucNKYzc
Quite right

^^ +1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSMLC6i1N2E&feature=player_embedded#!

PM to perform ground-breaking of 1,000-bed project at Poly Clinic

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will perform the ground-breaking of the extension project of Poly Clinic consisting of 1,000 beds to be built at one-third portion of Argentina Park. The Prime Minister was talking to Argentinean Ambassador Rodolfo Martin Saravil who called on him at the PM House.

The Ambassador appreciated the project and offered that his government would be very happy to train the paramedics’ staff that plays an important role in the post treatment recovery.

The Prime Minister thanked the Ambassador and the government of Argentina for the offer, adding that such training programme would help in overcoming the shortage of nurses in the country.

He said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister will visit Argentina in November and this high-level contact will strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Gilani thanked the Argentine government for collaboration between the pharmaceutical companies to produce vaccine of Hepatitis at affordable price for the Pakistani patients. Also the opening of a Medical College at the Complex to produce doctors and nurses will be a quantum leap in delivery of health services, he added.

The Prime Minister underscored the need of frequent top-level exchanges between the two countries.

Tommy Heinrich, the writer of ‘Pakistan Golden Thrones’, who is also a mountaineer and a photographer, presented the book to the Prime Minister on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Argentina.

The Prime Minister was greatly impressed by the contents and the photographs in the book portraying natural and scenic beauty of the Northern areas.

He also proposed the writer to visit Multan, which is a living city since 5,000 years where, and said he would find historical places and also beautiful deserts, giving the perfect idea of diversity of land and people.

The book will be launched in Argentina in the presence of Pakistani Foreign Minister and her Argentine counterpart during her visit to the country.

so its imran khan's fault that ppl are careless about their health?? if there wasnt enough dengue awareness or ppl were careless despite being warned, then too bad. and i'm not an imran khan supporter but why should i suffer financially for someone's else's carelessness??? the govt. cant tell me how much to charge ppl.. charging less than what costs me would be ridiculous!!! :crazy: plus as SH said, they charged him Rs. 500 which is not so bad. anyone can afford Rs. 500 for an emergency if they can afford Rs. 90.

and what's this Tanga Party that i apparently belong to?? :laugh:

anyone can afford Rs. 500 for an emergency if they can afford Rs. 90. ??? There's hell of difference between 90 and 500. A labourer who earns 200 a day.. for him to go for 500 test means he and his family had to remain hungry for 3 days.. And in dengue one has to repeat this test at least one time every day.. and having rest and drinking fluids are other things.. so if a labourer doesnt work and keep on resting and spending 500 ruppees a day, how will he run his house.

anyone can afford Rs. 500 for an emergency if they can afford Rs. 90. ??? There's hell of difference between 90 and 500. A labourer who earns 200 a day.. for him to go for 500 test means he and his family had to remain hungry for 3 days.. And in dengue one has to repeat this test at least one time every day.. and having rest and drinking fluids are other things.. so if a labourer doesnt work and keep on resting and spending 500 ruppees a day, how will he run his house.

if a person earns Rs. 200 a day then even Rs. 90 is too much. coz he has to test not just himself but his whole family.

if a person earns Rs. 200 a day then even Rs. 90 is too much. coz he has to test not just himself but his whole family.
500 isn't affordable for a lot of people for whom 90 is. Even a first-grader won't argue against that.

500 isn't affordable for a lot of people for whom 90 is. Even a first-grader won't argue against that.

ok i might be wrong about comparing 90 to 500 but a person earning Rs. 200 a day still couldnt afford dengue checkups for the whole family which is typically 5-6 ppl in pakistan.

"In order to hide its own criminal neglect, and in order to extract political mileage out of a matter that is strictly human, the government of Punjab has resorted to harassing the functionaries of Shaukat Khanum Laboratory Collection Centres and has even arrested some of them. This is in spite of the fact that SKMCH has reduced the cost of the basic CBC test to Rs. 80 against the government announced ceiling of Rs. 90.!

that's why is posted the article in the last page about Shaukat Khanum charging 80 rs. compare to the government 90 to 200 rs.

and because of that reason Punjab government is harassing Shaukat Khanum the staff

end of topic :)

ok i might be wrong about comparing 90 to 500 but a person earning Rs. 200 a day still couldnt afford dengue checkups for the whole family which is typically 5-6 ppl in pakistan.
I never said he could. My masi makes 200/day (approx), and I think her family can hardly afford to have food everyday.

"In order to hide its own criminal neglect, and in order to extract political mileage out of a matter that is strictly human, the government of Punjab has resorted to harassing the functionaries of Shaukat Khanum Laboratory Collection Centres and has even arrested some of them. This is in spite of the fact that SKMCH has reduced the cost of the basic CBC test to Rs. 80 against the government announced ceiling of Rs. 90.!

that's why is posted the article in the last page about Shaukat Khanum charging 80 rs. compare to the government 90 to 200 rs.

and because of that reason Punjab government is harassing Shaukat Khanum the staff

end of topic :)

See this is the main problem when you are sitting abroad and have no idea of what the hell is going on in a city and you just rely on baseless news reports! boy the govt is charging Rs 0.0000000*n for CBC test, and as I mentioned earlier that I myself got my dads CBC test done from Shoukat khanam labs in Rs 500, it was after that action that they reduced their rates.

I myself am a big fan of Shoukat khanam hospital and donate on monthly basis to this hospital! but the fact is that this time its the Shoukat khanam labs that were on the wrong side.

^^ Agreed. I got my mother's CBC today and my brother would go tomorrow to Shaukat Khanum.

It would be much much sane if Imran Khan keeps Shaukat Khanum out of politics ... My siblings as a kid funded for this hospital and it's a shame and painful experience when a political party i.e. PTI uses the hospital for securing the votes.

100 per cent rise in mental disorders over a decade

http://www.dawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/brainscan.543.jpg
Pakistan also needed to invest to make the people aware of the prevalence of mental disorders and their impact on national productivity, creativity, entrepreneurship and personal development. – File Photo

KARACHI, Oct 8: There has been an almost 100 per cent rise in the incidence of mental disorders, particularly stress and depression, in the country over the past 10 years, mainly due to the issues of personal insecurity, poverty, lack of education, rising inflation and ramshackle power supply, said senior psychiatrists on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, they said apart from genetic reasons, rising targeted killings, extortion, bodies found stuffed in gunny bags and frequent power breakdowns during the last couple of years had aggravated significantly the stress level in Pakistani society.

Leading the press conference, which was called in connection with the World Mental Health Day that falls on Oct 10, the president of the Pakistan Association for Mental Health (PAMH), Dr S. Haroon Ahmed, said that the global as well as local statistics related to mental health suggested development of mental healthcare facilities, ensuring an enabling environment for the citizens.

In Pakistan, there were four mental health hospitals in Hyderabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Mansehra with a total capacity of 3,000 beds, while small psychiatric units were attached to teaching hospitals and private psychiatric hospitals had a capacity of about 4,000 beds for patients reporting with mental disorders, he said. He lamented that there were only 419 psychiatrists in the country, concentrated mostly in urban areas, while there were no trained psychiatric nurses and community mental health workers. There had been a longstanding demand for a meaningful investment in the mental health sector, development of workforce and infrastructure, he said.

He said Pakistan also needed to invest to make the people aware of the prevalence of mental disorders and their impact on national productivity, creativity, entrepreneurship and personal development.

He said that the rate of stress and mental illness had increased the task of health policymakers, doctors and medical workers in their efforts, if any, towards mental approach, which were vital for a healthy society.

“We, under the banner of PAMH, have been contributing towards the redress of the problems of mental health in the country for the past 30 years, but have failed to get government support to establish a fully-fledged centre, which could have local need based programmes in the field of behavioral sciences and evolve community oriented, cost effective and culturally relevant programmes of treatment and aftercare of mentally ill patients.,” he added.

Dr M. Naim Siddiqui, the PAMH general secretary, said that the vulnerable people who were not able to manage their stress in a fast-changing world needed special attention.

Dr Badar Sabir Ali said that the prevalence of mental health disorder had increased immensely in Pakistan (30-60 per cent) and there was a dearth of trained physiatrists.

She further said that the WHO had estimated that depression was to reach the second position of disability adjusted life years lost and would be the second largest killer after the heart disease.

Dr Salamat Kamal announced that the PAMH was observing the Mental Health Day by holding a day-long seminar on Sunday at the PMA House.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/09/100pc-rise-in-incidence-of-mental-disorders-over-a-decade.html

Prof Ahmed disclosed that the prevalence of depression in Karachi was four percent some 10 years ago but it had now shot up to 37 percent due to a host of factors.

“War around us and incidence of violence are amongst the few factors making people mentally ill in Pakistan society,” he said.

He regretted that emphasis had increased on medicines while previously it was on prevention.

“Training can contain 70 to 80 percent of depression,” he added.

Prof Ahmed pointed out that suicide or attempts in Pakistan now stood at 10.47 percent, with most of the suicide cases were not being reported.

He said there were only 419 qualified psychiatrists in Pakistan but they were based in four big cities, while people in rural areas and the ignorant in urban set-ups too seek help from faith healers and go to shrines.

Prof Ahmed said there were 70 qualified psychiatrists in Karachi and only 3,000 psychiatric beds in four public sector hospitals but they lack trained nurses.

Across the world the ratio of qualified nurses was more as compared to doctors but here it’s the reverse, he said. “And there are no trained nurses in psychiatric facilities.”

“Families are not involved in treatment although they are the best nurses,” he said.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=71633&Cat=4

Pakistan's home 'lady health workers' cure pneumonia better than in hospital
London, Fri, 11 Nov 2011 ANI

London, Nov 11 (ANI): Young children treated at home for severe pneumonia by Pakistan's network of "lady health workers" were more likely to get well than children referred to health facilities, according to a new study.


The finding by researchers from Boston University, Save the Children and the WHO could save thousands of children's lives every year as pneumonia is the leading cause of death of young children around the world.


The researchers found that home-based treatment of severe pneumonia by a corps of trained "lady health workers" in the Haripur district of northern Pakistan, who are armed with five days' worth of oral amoxicillin, reduces treatment delays and failures compared to standard practice: administering one dose of antibiotics and referring a child to a hospital or clinic for intravenous drugs.


Because of the lack of health care facilities in Pakistan and other developing countries, patients have turned increasingly to community health workers, known as CHWs.


"This really is the capstone in a 10-year portfolio of research by which we were trying to provide a scientific rationale for community case-management of pneumonia," said study co-author Dr. Donald Thea, a researcher with Boston University's Centre for Global Health and Development.


He said the study findings are "proof of principal that trained community health workers can identify and manage this very complex disease."


While the research team led by Dr. Salim Sadruddin of Save the Children had set out to show that home-based treatment was equivalent to the current standard-of-care, they instead found that it produced better outcomes.


"If the children are getting the drugs in the community, they're getting them quicker," said Thea, an infectious diseases specialist.


The study has been published online today in The Lancet. (ANI)

Pakistan: Children With Pneumonia Fare Better With Home Treatment, Study Finds
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: November 28, 2011


Letting “lady health workers” in rural northern Pakistan treat children with severe pneumonia in their homes worked better than the established practice of telling parents to take them to a hospital, a new study has found.


The study, published in The Lancet this month, followed 1,857 children who were treated at home with oral amoxicillin for five days and 1,354 children in a control group who were given standard care: one dose of oral cotrimoxazole and instructions to go to the nearest hospital or clinic.

The home-treated group had only a 9 percent treatment-failure rate, while the control group children failed to improve 18 percent of the time.

Some parents could not afford to take their children to hospitals, which were often understaffed.

Researchers from Save the Children, the World Health Organization and Boston University did the study, which was financed by the United States Agency for International Development. Pneumonia is a major killer of infants and toddlers.

Pakistan’s network of 90,000 “lady health workers” was founded in 1994 by Benazir Bhutto, then the prime minister.

“It’s one of the best community-based health systems in the world,” said Dr. Donald Thea, a Boston University researcher who was one of the authors.

A Lancet editorial cautioned that not all local health workers are as well trained and supervised as Pakistan’s and that since northern Pakistan has a low AIDS rate, it would be wrong to assume that every country would do as well with such a system.

KARACHI:

The poor in Pakistan will now be more privileged than the richest in the US and surely equal to the Sheikhs in Saudi Arabia when it comes to cancer treatment, as the CyberKnife Stereotactic Radio Surgery System (SRS), the most advanced robotic radio surgery has arrived, available free of charge for the deserving.
The CyberKnife is an alternative to surgery for the treatment of tumours and completely cures cancer at stages one and two. It can also be used to treat some stage three and four cancers to improve the patient’s quality of life. The technology thus offers new hope to patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumours, or who may be looking for a non-surgical option.

The CyberKnife is a non-invasive treatment for cancerous and non-cancerous tumours anywhere in the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas, kidney. The treatment delivers high doses of radiation to tumors with pinpoint accuracy (sub millimetre), versus 5mm to 20mm in conventional radiotherapy and 2mm to 5mm in image-guided radiotherapy. It employs the technique of delivering pencil-thin beams of high-energy radiation from a 360-degree radius to the tumor, which converges precisely at the lesion inside the body.

“When a patient is diagnosed with cancer his concerns are the side effects, complications, out-of-job time and the cost of treatment but CyberKnife is a preferential treatment in terms of its medical advantages,” said Dr Tariq Mahmood, the head of the department of radiology at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, who is also the acting director of the project.

The treatment mostly involves one session of 30 to 90 minutes, but in some complicated cases it may be fractionated up to five sessions. To its advantage, the machine uses the world’s only intelligent robotic technology designed for radio surgery, which automatically and continuously tracks, detects, and corrects for lesion and patient movement.

The project was initiated by former JPMC director, Prof. Rashid Jooma, in March 2007. Mrs Ameena Adaya and her family were motivated by him and agreed to construct a dedicated building for the SRS. The ministry of health approved Rs789.64 million for the project but could not release the funds.

This is when the Patients Aid Foundation (PAF), an NGO working for JPMC, took up the responsibility of raising the unimaginably high sum of $4.1 million for the project’s completion. The money was raised with the help of many generous donors and the machine is now in Pakistan, said Mushtaq Chhapra, the chairman of PAF’s executive committee.

Another supporter, Saad Amanullah Khan, shared that there are about 20,000 patients per year in Pakistan suffering from untreatable cancers, but only about 250 manage to travel abroad for treatment. The remaining 98.75% either develop disabilities or suffer the misery of the disease.

The cost of treatment in the US varies between $50,000 and $90,000 and up to $20,000 in India and countries closer to us, whereas in Pakistan the cost will be $1,000 per patient. The affording patients will pay for their treatment, but for the underprivileged, the PAF will raise money from the project’s supporters.
The machine will be up and functioning by March this year, said Chhapra. The SRS building stands behind JPMC’s emergency. A dedicated staff has already been appointed and PAF’s technical committee comprises well-reputed professionals. PAF now requires $ 1 million per annum to meet the cost of maintenance, but the supporters of the cause are hopeful as they say, ‘where there is a will there is a way’.

Has health tourism developed in Pakistan?

PAKISTANS most advanced world class hospital now open


http://www.qih.com.pk/gallery_oc-1.php

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Nice development.

nice hospital

KARACHI: Nurses will be paid new salaries from April 1, said the chief minister on Thursday.

This will cost an annual Rs490 million and will cover the service structure and time scale, an increase in the uniform and mess allowance and stipend for nursing students.

The cost of a yet-undecided package for paramedical staff will reach Rs750 million a year. A meeting is scheduled to discuss it.

In addition to making these announcements, the CM told the health department to set up an emergency centre on the Super and National highways after every 100km. He wants work speeded up on the trauma centre scheme for Karachi at a cost of Rs24 million. Out of 14 floors, work on 12 floors has been completed so far.

The CM wants taluka headquarter hospitals to be upgraded by the end of December. Around 18 district hospitals are being renovated and work will be completed in Badin, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Mithi by the end of the current financial year. The project is being implemented at a cost of Rs2,427 million.

The CM was told that a crash programme to vaccinate students against hepatitis has been completed at an estimated cost of Rs265 million and 4.2 million students have been vaccinated.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Sindh Health Secretary Hashim Raza Zaidi said that the total annual development budget of the health department is Rs6,920 million out of which Rs5,804 million has been allocated for ongoing schemes and Rs1,470 million for new schemes.

There are 122 health schemes in Sindh, out of which 64 are ongoing and 58 are new. The health department has been given Rs4,087 million out of which Rs2,615 million has been spent.

Seven Thalassemia schemes are being completed at a cost of Rs168 million. Burns centres are being set up at Liaquat University for Health and Medical Sciences, Jamshoro, Chandka Medical University Larkana, Sukkur and other places. They will be completed by June 2012.

Institute of Cardiology to be completed by June 30

Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has set June 30 deadline for completion of construction work of Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) Rawal Road project so that the heart patients of the region could be provided state of the art medical treatment facilities.

Member National Assembly (MNA), Chairman Standing Committee Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said this while chairing a meeting held here the other day. The meeting was attended among others by Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Amdad Ullah Bosal, Additional Secretary Development Health Punjab Usman Moazam, Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Khan who has been nominated as Medical Superintendent (MS) Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Executive District Officer, Health Dr. Zafar Iqbal Gondal and representatives of Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA), IESCO and contractors of the project.

Amdad Ullah Bosal briefing the meeting said that strict monitoring of the project would be carried out so that the project could be completed within the fixed time period.

Dr. Muhammad Shaoib Khan said that four lifts would be installed in the hospital aimed at facilitating the patients and their attendants and work in this regard would be started from May 28. He said three heavy duty generators and air-conditioning system would also be provided soon.

He further informed that work for the development of sewerage system for the hospital would be started soon and it would be extended up to Nullah Lai as Punjab Government has released Rs 20 million out of approved grant of Rs 80 million. The funds for the project have been provided to WASA.

Additional Secretary Health told that orders for the supply of surgical and other equipments for the hospital are being issued. Eight companies have been issued purchase orders.

The meeting was also informed that demand notice for Sui Gas has also been issued.

Hanif Abbasi said that all modern facilities for the heart patients will be available under one roof and state of the art medical treatment facilities to be provided to the patients of the region and AJK.

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Pindi Institute of Cardiology to be operational soon

The Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) will be operational soon after the inauguration of its building by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

It was decided in the second meeting of the RIC Steering Committee, held at the Holy Family Hospital on Friday.

The meeting directed the contractor firm to accelerate the pace of work and complete installation of electronic equipment, like the air conditioning system and heavy-duty generators.

The meeting was chaired by Steering Committee Chairman Muhammad Hanif Abbasi along with Rawalpindi Commissioner Imdadullah Bosal and Punjab Health Secretary Arif Nadeem.

The meeting was attended by the Rawalpindi Medical College Principal and Allied Hospitals Chief Executive Dr Mussadaq Khan, RIC Medical Superintendent Dr Shoaib Khan and representatives of WASA, PHA and other departments concerned.

Dr Shoaib Khan briefed the meeting that the PHA had completed the design of the greenbelt and plantation of ornamental and evergreen trees and plants in the premises of the RIC. The groundwork would be started by the contractor soon, the meeting was informed.

He said that demand-notices for gas, electricity and telephone connections would be deposited as early as possible. The pace of work would be accelerated to complete the building within the stipulated time, fixed by the Steering Committee.

Capital to have cancer hospital

Senate Chairman Nayyer Hussain Bokhari on Monday said that a cancer hospital would be established in Islamabad soon with the cooperation of the Cuban government.

Talking to reporters at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences after the launch of a cleanness drive at the hospital, he said the present government had taken steps to extend facilities in the existing hospitals to cater to the two million population of the federal capital.

He said that during his present visit to Cuba, he had discussed the issue with the Cuban government and the Pakistani medical students getting education there.

He said that expansion of PIMS emergency ward would also be undertaken soon.

The chairman said that a medical collage had been established in the NICH having the facility of around 200 beds.

He urged the people to help the PIMS management keep the hospital clean.

Nayyer Bokhari thanked the Capital Development Authority and the educational institutions taking part in the cleanness drive. On the occasion, Capital Administration and Development Division Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal said that cardiac, burn and liver transplantation centres would be inaugurated at the PIMS soon.

He said that PIMS would be transformed into a state-of-the-art hospital.

He said that about 400 people had been engaged in the week-long cleanliness campaign in the hospital.

PAKISTANI PM APPROVES REGULARIZATION OF LADY HEALTH WORKERS’S SERVICES
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Jan 21 (NNN-APP) -- Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has approved the regularization of services of 105086 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) including their supporting staff presently serving in the provinces,federally administered areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Prime Minister has also approved the concurrence of the Federal Government to reimburse the entire financial impact of this measure to the provinces including arrears. Read more (http://namnewsnetwork.org/v3/read.php?id=MjE4ODM1)

Thats All !!

CM Shahbaz Sharif met a delegation of the young doctors a short while ago and YDA has announced to call off their hunger strike.

Earlier, during the meeting, CM remarked: "I'm a khadim of this country & the people of Punjab...I am fully conscious of my duties towards various sections of the society...I'm, as you all know, a friend of country's talented youth...and besides, young doctors are, to me, like my own children..."

In a media statement, reps of the YDA stated: "Almost all matters have been settled in meeting with CM Punjab. The meeting with CM remained positive. CM Shahbaz Sharif listened to our demands in a beneficent manner." It was mentioned during the meeting that Punjab Government has done a lot for the health sector when compared with other provinces.

http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184210_505556722816272_1076945800_n.jpg

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Punjab Govt. woke up after 14 days, they could have done this earlier...

^^

Punjab Govt. woke up after 14 days, they could have done this earlier...

I am sure they have their own reasons for waiting 14 days i.e,. negotiation behind the scenes etc.

True. Everything can't be done and sorted out in one day. Things do take time.

A new BIG health city coming up in Rawalpindi.
CMH is already very big, it will turn into a health city inside one boundary after this. :)



All pics are by Waqas03. He mailed me these and asked to upload.




New CMH Mega-project


A big project of CMH hospital inside old CMH.

It's turning into a BIG health city inside one boundary wall :rock:



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Work in full swing, 4 cranes working.


:cheers:



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